Like Son, Like Father
by WritePassion
Summary: Samuel Sr. has a new love in his life, and not everyone is happy about it. And a home invasion threatens to destroy everything that Samuel Sr. regained since moving in with Sam and Yvette. LAST CHAPTERS POSTED!
1. Chapter 1

I never liked continuing alternative universe series in fanfiction, but here I am breaking my own rules! As long as people keep asking for more and I come up with ideas, the Sam/Yvette series will continue. Samuel Sr., Yvette, and little Samuel are mine. The rest I'm just borrowing!

**Like Son, Like Father**

By WritePassion

"Hey bartender, a beer, a mojito, and a bloody mary," Sam shot across the bar as he glanced around Carlito's. He was early, and because he was the first to arrive, he bought the first round.

"I hope you're not planning on drinking those all by yourself."

Sam cocked an eyebrow and turned, and narrowed his eyes at the last person he expected to be standing behind the bar of his favorite watering hole. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"I work here, since last Tuesday." Samuel Axe Sr. answered with a smile. "You didn't answer my question, Son."

"Ha ha, very funny, Dad. I'm meeting Mike and Fi here in a little bit. First one here buys the first round. That's the way it is." He gave him a smug expression. "Satisfied?"

"Yes, I am. I'd hate to think my kid was a lush."

Sam would have responded with a tart remark, but he saw the twinkle in his father's eye. He'd been around his old man long enough now to know that he was just kidding, but the scary thing was, he himself might have said the very same thing given the right circumstances. Feeling uncomfortable, he changed the subject. "So, Dad, how's the apartment hunting going?"

"It's not easy finding something I can afford that isn't a dump."

Sam laughed. "Tell me about it! Free room and board was one of the incentives for hanging out with beautiful rich women. Among other things."

His father sighed, biting back his condemnation because he knew those days were ancient history - for both of them. "I don't know how you manage it these days, since Yvette stays home with little Samuel and doesn't work."

Sam took a sip of his mojito. "I do okay. Nothin' you need to worry about, Dad. My freelance work pads the pension nicely and keeps us comfortable." _It didn't hurt that Mom left me enough to pay off the house and the new car. _He glanced around casually, returned his attention to his father, and lowered his voice. "Let's just leave it at that, because my financial state is none of your business."

"Okay, okay." He let out a breath. "I apologize for being concerned about my son and his family's well-being. I know you're not used to that."

As he studied the blatant honesty in his dad's eyes, Sam felt like a jerk for getting on his case. "Sorry, Dad. You're right, I'm not used to this side of you." His phone rang, and he fumbled in his pocket to retrieve it.

"Hold that thought. I'll be right back." Samuel moved down the bar to take an order while Sam took his phone call. By the time he finished with the customers, Sam was waiting for him to return.

"What is it? It doesn't look good."

Sam cocked his head and leaned back to give himself a little breathing room. "That was Eve. Apparently she's decided that we need to buy a bed for the downstairs bedroom. For you."

"Really?" The corner of his mouth tipped up as he grinned. "Smart girl you married, Sammy."

"I suppose, it really doesn't make a lot of sense for you to get your own place. I know you've been helping around the house, and Samuel seems to have taken a real shine to his grandpa, so...I said yes, on a couple of conditions." He crossed his arms and rested them on bar.

Samuel leaned his elbows on the edge directly across from Sam and bent down until they were eye to eye. "Shoot."

"One, you stay out of my business. And two...you contribute a little to the household. Whether that involves babysitting or money, well, I'll leave that up to Eve." His eyes gleamed. "Although, if you're free to babysit tomorrow night...I've got a hot date with my wife." He winked and gave his dad a cocked grin.

Samuel laughed and straightened. "I'd be happy to do that. I don't work nights, so it'll be perfect."

"Great. And thanks. Not just for giving us a night out, but..."

"Sorry we're late," Michael apologized as he sidled up to the two Sams. "My mom had an 'emergency' again."

"What was it this time, the dishwasher making weird noises?"

"No, she found a lizard in the kitchen." Fiona responded as she reached around behind Sam and took her drink.

"You know there's a cure for that, Mikey. Sledgehammer. One good whack, no more lizard."

Michael grimaced. "Yeah, well, we wanted to keep the kitchen floor intact."

"Then C4 is out." Sam swiveled around to face her. "Sorry, Fi."

"It would be a waste of good high-quality explosives." She crunched her celery.

Michael reached for his beer and gave Sam's father a nod. "Why don't we grab a table. I've got a new case for us."

"It's about time." As he followed his friends to the table, he shot over his shoulder, "Talk to you later, Dad. Business calls."

"Understood."

As he settled into his chair, Sam asked, "Hey, wait Mike, this doesn't involve the CIA, does it?"

"No, Sam. This is one where we're on our own, although, depending upon the outcome, the CIA may be interested in our man." Michael reached into his inner suit pocket and pulled out a photograph and some papers. He spread them out on the table surface in front of his friends. "This guy here, Pietr Salenkov, is a former spy with the Soviet Union. Intelligence says he was burned, like me, but he's looking for a new force to ally himself with." He tapped the photograph with his index finger. "He's been spotted in Little Russia and Little Havana."

"An equal opportunist, but still thinking inside the box, eh, Mikey?" Sam shook his head. "Should be easy to nail him down, but what do we do with him then?"

"Actually, that's where the CIA comes in. They want Selenkov for what he knows about the current inner workings of the KGB...and other secret agencies within the Soviet Union."

Sam scowled and took a long drag on his mojito. "Oh yeah, I get it. We do all the legwork, we bring him in alive, and they grill the snot out of him until he talks. How come they get all the fun?"

"My thought's exactly, Sam." Fiona eyed Michael over her drink. "I think that Michael is trying to earn some brownie points with Pearce. Still paying her back for getting me out of the clutches of the FBI, I suppose."

"Okay, we're getting off track. Let's focus." Those were Michael's code words for the fact that he didn't want to talk about it.

He'd already spent enough time analyzing what he was doing after he nearly lost Fiona to Anson and his diabolical plan. Taking Anson down made his handler happy, but the agency's role in returning Fiona to him left him in a quandary. He felt like he owed them now. Yet almost constantly he questioned whether working for the CIA was really that important, or if he would be better off running covert ops for civilians who needed his help. Taking a good look at his friends as they discussed this case, seeing the lack of spark in Sam's eyes and Fiona's half hearted attempt to follow along left him less than enthused about pursuing his old job with the government. If they were spending their time helping defenseless women against scammers and abusers, Sam and Fi would be all in.

"You know what?" Michael suddenly pushed the papers back into a neat pile and pulled a small sheaf from Sam's hand.

"Hey, I was looking at that!"

"No, it's okay. I can take care of this with a little help from the CIA. I don't know why I even expected you two to help me."

"You expected it because that's what we do," Fiona replied as she leaned back in her chair and studied him.

"Yeah, Mike." Sam snatched the papers out of his grip. "Come on, sit down. We'll come up with a plan to lure him and we'll probably have this sewn up in a couple of days. No problem."

Michael did as he was told, but he glanced sideways at Sam. "Right, like some of those other jobs you said we could clean up in a day."

"Madelyn? What are you doing here?" Fiona's eyes were hidden by her big sunglasses, but the lenses were fixed on a figure standing over Michael's shoulder.

Michael turned around and glanced up at the distressed look on her face. "Hey Ma, what's up? Find another lizard?"

"No, Michael. But I might. You know, where there's one there are more. Hundreds, maybe."

"I think you're confusing them with cockroaches, Maddie." Sam drained the last of his drink and signaled for another round.

"It doesn't matter. I just need somebody to do something! I can't go back into that house until I know it's free of creepy crawly things."

"Ma, we've got something really important going on here right now..."

"Hi Sam. Your dad says you better take it easy on the mojitos or the next one will be alcohol free." The server smiled and placed the drink in front of him.

"Great." Sam muttered as he curled his hand around the sweating glass. "Tell him I told him to mind his own business, and that if he doesn't, he'll be sleeping on the floor until he finds his own place." He leaned forward and looked at his father with a grin that hid his irritation, lifted his glass, and drank.

Maddie stared at Sam and gasped. "Sam! You shouldn't talk to your father...wait a minute. Your father is here?" She glanced around trying to get a glimpse of him, but she didn't know what he looked like. Before Sam could say anything, her eyes locked on the man behind the bar and she sucked in a breath. "Well, I'll be..." She grinned and shaded her sunglass covered eyes with one hand, while she waggled the fingers on her other hand. He waved back, puzzled. "I should have known he'd look like you. Or rather, the other way around." She turned to Sam, and he guessed that behind her sunglasses, Maddie's eyes danced with glee as she exclaimed like a lovesick teenager. "He's cute!"

"He's single, Maddie." Fiona grinned over her drink. "Why don't you go talk to him?"

"I just might!" Her troubles forgotten, she practically floated across the patio to the bar.

"Thanks a lot, Fi!" Michael and Sam chorused and glanced at each other.

"What? What did I do?"

"My mom...and Sam's dad? Fi, what are you thinking?"

"I think they'd make a cute couple."

"No, they won't," Sam disagreed with a scowl.

"Okay, what's wrong with my mom?"

"What's wrong with my dad?"

"Boys, please! They're grownups. Why don't you let them decide for themselves?"

Michael and Sam watched the scene at the bar. Samuel Sr. fixed Maddie a drink and grinned at her the entire time. They couldn't see her reaction, but it must have been encouraging, at least to Sam's father, because Samuel leaned against the bar, gave her the trademark Sam Axe crooked smile, and spoke to her and her alone. It was enough to make Sam wonder if his tactics were genetic, because he sure hadn't learned them from his dad, but he was seeing them right before his eyes. Watching him make the moves on Maddie was scary. Michael gave him an icy glare, and all Sam could do was shrug in reply.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When Samuel Sr. got off his shift, he went directly home to Sam's house. He found Sam in the garage under his car, the front end up on ramps. Samuel stopped , leaned against the workbench, and sighed. It wasn't a down in the dumps kind of sigh. It was more like one of those 'I've found an angel' type exhalations.

Sam didn't beat around the bush, because he knew that sound. He'd made it often enough himself. "Dad, what's going on with you and Maddie?" He pulled himself out from underneath the car after making sure the oil plug was tight. He stood, grabbed a rag from the workbench and wiped the grease off his hands. All the while he analyzed the incredibly happy expression on his father's face.

"Son, I have a date with an angel tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night? Dad, you promised you'd watch Samuel while Eve and I went out!"

"I did?" He suddenly sobered and wiped the silly grin off his face. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I'm sorry."

"No, sorry would be for you to keep your date. If Mike hears about this, he's not gonna be happy." He paused, took a drink of ice tea that had long lost its chill, and made a face. "He's kind of protective about his mom. Come to think of it, we all are."

"I understand." Samuel nodded and crossed his arms as he stood straight in front of his son. "Don't think your old man is good enough for Michael Westen's mom, is that it?"

Sam hesitated. He still had issues, but when it really came down to it, it wasn't up to him to dictate who his father could and could not see. She could definitely do worse. "Personally, I don't really have a problem with it. I'm just worried about Mike. Nobody's good enough for her in his eyes."

Samuel smiled. "Maddie warned me about that, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I mean, it's just a date! It's not like we're getting married!"

"Yeah...well...you know how it is, Dad, with the old Sam Axe charm."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that, Sammy," Samuel laughed and chucked his son's arm. "Don't worry. I'll call Maddie and change our date, unless she doesn't mind coming over for dinner and watching Samuel with me."

"Yeah, that's real smooth, inviting a woman over to babysit." Sam stopped himself before he could say anything else. _I should have my head examined for encouraging him!_

"Sammy, I have a lot of experience in tactical operations. We'll make this work, and you and Yvette can have your night out." He smirked. "As a matter of fact, if you want to make it an overnighter at the Victor or someplace..."

"No, we'll be home by 11. Late enough for us, but early enough for you to keep it decent. Maddie's a good woman, Dad. If you want to get into Mike's good graces, you'll act like a gentleman. Got it?"

Samuel smiled at his son as if he were still a child. "Don't worry, Sammy. I've got it all worked out." He slipped past Sam and whistled his way to the back door of the house.

He heard the screen door slap closed, followed by his father's voice in a higher pitch. _Was that baby talk?_ Sam shook his head. Would wonders never cease!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Soft music wafted across the patio, provided by a pair of strolling violinists, on a clear, balmy Miami evening. Candlelight flickered across her face, and when she smiled, Sam fell in love with her all over again. He reached out for her hand and reveled in its softness and strength as she intertwined her fingers with his. In the distance, the sea crashed against the beach and created an aroma of fresh salty air that commingled with his chicken cacciatore. It was a perfect night, but he couldn't help but briefly think about the scene at home. He trusted his dad to care for Samuel. Yet he wasn't so sure it was safe to leave him there with Maddie and no chaperone. He took comfort in the fact that his father was the one who would have to face Mike's wrath if he screwed this up.

"Honey, I know what you're thinking. Your dad is an adult, and so is Maddie. It's their choice what they do together, but one thing I know for certain. They both love our son and will take good care of him. So relax, okay?" She shook her head and smiled. "It's supposed to be the mother who gets all anxious about leaving her baby for the first time with a sitter."

"I'm not worried about Samuel. He's in good hands."

"I know. Let's just enjoy our meal and each other and forget about everything else, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded, resolving to do just that, and turned on a hundred watt smile as he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Have I told you lately how this light makes you irresistible?"

She giggled. "No, but I like it."

All through the rest of their meal, Sam turned on the charm and made it a night to remember for a long time. As the server cleared their plates, he asked if they would like dessert. "No thanks," Sam replied, his gaze never leaving Yvette's eyes. "We have...other...plans."

When the server was out of earshot, she leaned closer and asked, "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise." He smiled.

She glanced at her watch. "It's still pretty early, but hopefully we'll get home in time like we promised your dad."

Sam nestled her hand in the crook of his arm as they left the restaurant. "Dad and I had a talk about that today. Apparently, he feels a little annoyed that I don't trust him enough after all he's done. So he challenged me to go out on a limb." He stopped on the sidewalk, took her face in his hands, and continued. "We're going to leave him alone tonight with Samuel."

"What?" She tried to take a step back, but Sam held onto her too tightly.

_Now who's worried? _Aloud, he asked, "Does that scare you?"

"No, I mean...no, why should it? He can handle the baby just fine." She paused and looked him in the eye. "Before he got his day job, I went shopping in the afternoon a few times and left him alone with Samuel. He did quite well. I guess I was preparing myself for this first date post-baby. I wasn't quite expecting it to be an all-night affair, though."

"Nothing to worry about, baby. Like my dad says, 'I'm an expert at tactical operations. I've got everything under control.'" He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply, right there in the middle of the sidewalk, not caring who saw them. Her lips responded and sent electricity as hot as lightning shooting through his body.

When their lips finally disengaged, she whispered, "Where are we going?" He cocked his head toward the hotel across the street, and she smiled. "Well, isn't that convenient?" She wrapped her arms around his and let him lead her inside and to the elevator. They were alone in the car, so it didn't take much to resume where they left off on the street. By the time the doors opened on an elderly couple, the two were entwined so tightly, their witnesses couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

Sam's breath came out as if he'd just run a mile through the sand. "Uh, hey," he greeted the gaping couple as he worked to untangle himself from Yvette. "Honey...we're here." He pulled her hand out from under his open shirt and used every bit of the last of his willpower to guide her out of the elevator. She giggled into his collarbone and planted small kisses there as he navigated her down the hall.

"Must be newlyweds," the old man said to his wife as they shook their heads and got into the elevator.

"He looks a little old for that, but...I guess that's how things go in Miami."

The doors closed on them, but the younger couple in the hall was oblivious to the short exchange. Sam was too busy unlocking the door. It opened, and they tumbled inside. Yvette screeched at the sudden loss of equilibrium, but she quickly righted herself, snatched the Do Not Disturb sign off the back of the door handle, and hung it on the outside. Sam closed the door, and they were alone for a night of loving the likes of which they hadn't enjoyed for awhile.

If anyone had entered the room that morning, they would have seen a trail of clothing strewn in a clear path from the door to the bed. The sheets and coverlet were a tangled mess, and underneath it, two naked bodies lay nestled together. Sam woke first, soaking in the scent from Yvette's hair as it cascaded around her. She'd let it grow out ever since they met, so it nearly reached her waist. It curled in gentle spirals cascading over her shoulders. He loved to touch its softness and let it run through his fingers. As he did it again, she slowly came to life, turning to lay on her back, smiling at him.

"Last night was terrific." She smiled even wider. "Now, about this morning...wait. What time is it?"

"Time for you to not worry about the time." He kissed her and tangled his hands in her hair. His voice rasped in her ear. "I told my dad we'd be home before he had to go to work."

"Wow, you're really playing with fire, aren't you?"

He chuckled. "You have no idea, baby."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sam pulled the car into the garage, and Yvette was out and hurrying to the back door before he had it turned off. He chuckled and shook his head. For all her pretenses to the contrary, he knew she'd been worried about leaving Samuel overnight. He pulled their small bag from the back of the vehicle and entered the house. Water ran in the bathroom upstairs and he heard Yvette's voice as she chattered away to Samuel. They met on the landing half way up to the second floor.

"Well it looks like he made it through okay," Sam responded with a small smile.

"Your dad is in the shower. He was waiting until we got back, didn't want to leave Samuel unattended." She smiled and her eyes sparkled. "It sounds like everything went off without a hitch. They took Samuel to the zoo, believe it or not, and they played with him until it was his bed time."

"And after that?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

Yvette blushed. "He didn't tell me that. He said it was on a need to know basis, and I didn't need to know."

Sam laughed. "Well, frankly, I'm not going to dwell on it. The place is like we left it, Samuel is happy, and we're...we're terrific." He kissed her on the steps until she teetered on the edge of the step. The water turned off, and Sam abruptly broke the contact, blushing a little. "I, uh, better get this stuff upstairs."

"Right. Samuel is ready for some lunch. I'll put on some soup for us."

They turned sideways and brushed against each other as they passed on their way up and down the staircase. Sam watched her descend, absently wondering when his dad left and if it would coincide with Samuel's nap. He himself was off because Michael and Fiona were busy doing intelligence gathering on their man, and he intended to take full advantage of the time.

At the top of the stairs he ran into Samuel as he emerged from the bathroom, running a towel over his wet hair. In his retirement he let it grow a little longer than regulation, just enough to develop some curls at the back. Just like Sam's, which reminded him that he needed a trim.

"Hey, Son!" He grinned warmly. "How'd your date with Yvette go?"

"It was great, Dad."

"And nobody worried about Maddie and me?"

Sam made a dismissive gesture. "Are you kidding? We were having too much fun to worry about you two crazy kids!" He glanced around quickly, leaned closer, and asked, "How did your date go? You didn't do anything that might cause Mike to want to kill you, did you?"

Samuel threw his head back and laughed. "If Michael wants to get mad at anyone, it should be his mom. Wooohee, that girl is a firecracker, Son! I practically had to beat her off!"

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Seems the woman has something for a man in uniform. Or formerly in uniform."

"Yeah, I think there's something to that." He briefly thought about Virgil who, despite Maddie's attraction to him, stayed away because of Michael's unspoken threats. "So, anyway, you did what I said, right? You didn't take advantage of her..."

"Sammy, despite my baser instincts, we behaved ourselves. But I can't promise anything on the second date. That's all I've got to say about that."

Cringing, Sam dropped the suitcase on their bed and covered his ears briefly. "Please, I'd rather not know. Just mark my words that if you hurt her, it's between you and Michael Westen. That's not a fight you wanna pick, Dad. Trust me."

The landline phone rang, and on the second jingle, Yvette picked it up. A few moments later, her footsteps trotted up the stairs. She held Samuel against her hip and balanced the cordless phone in the other hand. "Looks like I just interrupted something. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. What's up, darlin'," Samuel asked as he resumed working on his hair.

"Maddie's on the phone. She wants to invite us all to a barbecue at her place on Saturday. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Perfect! I don't have to work that day. We'll be there!"

"Ask her if we should bring anything," Sam added as he glanced warily at his dad. Somehow, he had the feeling that his father already knew about this invitation and had his schedule planned out to be free on that day.

"Just ourselves, Samuel, and your dad. I already asked." Yvette's eyes crinkled when she smiled. Into the phone, she spoke. "Yeah, we'll be there, Maddie. At two? Okay, sounds good." Her voice trailed away as she returned to the lower level.

Sam narrowed his eyes and a crafty look crossed his face. "Looks like the tactical expert is up to something."

"Just gives me a chance to spend time with Maddie, in front of Michael, so he sees that I'm not the bogeyman he thinks I am."

"Smart move, Dad. Good job." He gave his father a formal salute, Commander to Commander, and went downstairs to spend some quality time with his son. He admired his father's skills, and he wondered if maybe he might be an asset to the team someday. If nothing else, they could use his talents of keen observation to keep an eye on things at Carlito's. Maybe when things warmed up between Michael and his dad, Sam would suggest it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Michael and Sam took over grilling duties while Maddie, Fiona and Yvette sat in lawn chairs and watched over little Samuel. Samuel Sr. sat close to Maddie, but not so close that Michael would want to plant a fist in his face if he tried so much as touch her. Sam felt the uneasy vibes radiating from his friend, so he felt it was his duty to put him at ease.

"Listen, Mikey, you've got nothing to worry about with my dad. You know Maddie has been over just about every night this week?" Michael stared at him, and he nodded dramatically. "Yeah, she's been coming for dinner, and Eve and I kind of serve as chaperones. They've been behaving themselves. I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable about them together."

"Sam, how could you? Do you really know your dad? He could be putting on a good show..."

"No, Mike. My dad may have had his problems in the past, but he's been busting his ass earning my trust...and I believe him. He's an honorable guy now, Mike. I mean, he obviously likes and respects your ma. Look at him. He's like me." He jutted his chin toward the group.

"That doesn't instill a lot of confidence in me towards him, Sam."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, and that's the problem. If he's anything like you were when you were cruising for women, if he so much as looks at my mom wrong..."

Sam recognized the signs that Michael was about to have a meltdown if he didn't think fast. "Woah, woah, woah, Mikey. Settle down. They like each other. Is that really so bad? Give 'em a chance. Just do that, will ya?" He cut off Michael's line of sight and closed in on his personal space. With a lowered voice, he continued, "It's not fair to your mom to make her live like a nun, for crying out loud. She has a life, and by not vetting her choice in dates, you're stifling her."

Michael's eyes were cold as they stared at Sam. Slowly, they thawed as he let out a deep breath and planted his hands on his hips. "You're right, Sam. I'm just too careful when it comes to her. I don't want her to get hurt again."

"Everybody gets hurt, Mike. I think your mom is strong enough to handle it. Give her a little credit. She'd been through hell with your dad, and I feel pretty confident that if my father even tried to hurt her, which he won't, but if he did, she could take care of herself." The corner of his mouth tipped up. "She's a tough lady. You know that."

Michael nodded and a hint of sadness crept into his tone of voice. "It's just kind of hard to see my mom with another man, you know?"

"Yeah, it's not easy seeing my dad, who abandoned my mom, with another woman. But then I just remind myself of what I did to Amanda, and how I let myself have a second chance with Yvette. Then I don't feel so righteous about condemning him."

The spark came back to Michael's eyes. "You've got a point there, Sam." He patted his friend's upper arm. "If your dad is as insightful as you, maybe, just maybe, he's in good hands."

"Hey, like son, like father, Mikey. That idea used to disgust me, but now...now I'm proud of him. How times change."

"Yeah. Changing times." He watched Samuel Sr. sitting apart from the women, bouncing Samuel on his knee, but when he glanced at Michael, the younger man saw something sad in his eyes. "It looks like you've got everything under control here. I'm going to go keep your dad company. He seems so...out of place... with all those women."

"You got it, Mike. Just go easy on him, okay?"

"No problem, Sam. I'll be on my best behavior."

Sam kept one eye on the grill and another on Michael and Samuel Sr. He could feel the tension from where he stood, but as he watched, it eased up. He began to feel comfortable about the future. _Hey, maybe Mike and I will be step-brothers some day. Now, wouldn't that be something? _He let that thought slip away as he finished his job and spent the afternoon with his family and Michael's, without a care in the world.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The phone rang and Yvette picked up. "Hello? Oh, hi, Dad. What's up?" She listened as Samuel spoke. "Okay, no problem. I'll have Sam pick you up. He's just outside playing with Samuel."

After she hung up, Yvette went found Sam in the back yard with their son. Even though he was only ten months old, he was already walking. Sam rolled a ball on the ground, and little Samuel giggled as he tottered forward to get it. He picked it up, squealed in delight, and turned back to his daddy's open arms and approving grin. As Sam hugged him, he laughed. The sight always brought a tear to Yvette's eyes. She hated to break up their fun, but duty beckoned.

"Sam, your dad called. His shift ended, but his car won't start."

"I told him that something didn't sound right the last time he started it up. I offered to look at it, but he waved me off." He picked up Samuel and stood. The arms that were growing so fast wrapped around his neck as the little boy settled in against Sam's chest. "So he wants a ride, huh?"

"Yeah. Hey, and while you're out..." She smiled and held up a short list.

Sam gave her a sour look. "Okay, fine, but this is gonna cost you. You know I'm coming home with some guy food."

"I know." She smiled and held out her hands for Samuel. He gave him to her and she kissed his cheek. "If you'll notice, I added a few of those things to the list. Have fun." She grinned and turned toward the house.

"I can think of better ways to have fun," he yelled back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the nosey neighbor lady peering over the fence. Giving her a sneer, he strode quickly to catch up to Yvette. He grabbed her arm, and when she whirled with a surprised look on her face, he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. _Let's give the old biddy something to watch!_ He never liked Mrs. Petersen. She was a lonely, bitter old woman whom Yvette tried to befriend when they moved in, but she didn't like children and always complained about everything. He heard her gasp and mutter something in Norwegian as she shuffled away on her cane toward her back door.

"Wow. What brought that on?" Yvette purred when he broke the contact.

"Just felt like it is all," he spoke between breaths. "I'll finish that later."

"You got it, tiger." She gave him a surprise of her own that cemented the promise, and turned with Samuel in her arms. "Don't forget what's on the list!"

Sam shuddered at the break in contact and stole a quick glance over at Mrs. Petersen's, but thankfully, she didn't witness that move. He called out to Yvette as he headed toward the car. "I won't forget. See you later! Bye, Sammy!" Whenever his father wasn't around, Sam had taken to calling his own son by the nickname his dad used for him. The last thing he saw before pulling out of the driveway were the smiling faces of his family, and Yvette holding Samuel's hand, making him wave goodbye. It made his heart skip a beat. Until that moment, he realized how he'd been starting to take everything for granted. He vowed to be more vigilant against complacency. As a spy, it could get him killed. As a husband and father, it could kill his relationship with his family.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Sam parked across the street from Carlito's and stepped in to the bar. He looked around, but Samuel Sr. was nowhere to be found.

"Looking for your Dad, Sam?"

"Yeah, Beth. Where is he?"

The brunette who usually served Sam and his friends smiled. "He'll be out in a few minutes. I think he's talking to the boss."

Sam frowned. "He's not in any trouble, is he?"

"No," she laughed. "The other day, you guys had just left maybe an hour earlier, and this guy came in all psycho. He was waving a gun around looking for some woman, but she wasn't here. Your dad...well, he was amazing! The guy was suicidal, and he managed to talk him into giving up the gun. Then he restrained the guy until the cops got here. For an old guy, he's pretty tough."

"Hmmm, he never said a word about it to us."

She flapped a hand. "I don't think he wanted anyone to make a big deal about it. After the dust settled, he went right back to his shift." She heard a noise and glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, here he comes. I wouldn't say anything about it unless he brings it up."

"Don't worry, the secret is safe with me." Sam nodded as she quickly turned and headed toward a table of customers. "Hey, Dad, everything okay?"

"Yeah, no problem, except for that car. You were right, Sammy. I should have had it looked at, and now it might cost me a bundle to get fixed." He sighed. "I was thinking of getting a bike anyway, since the house isn't too far from here. Besides, the exercise would do me some good." He patted the slight spare tire he'd developed over the past couple of months living with Sam and his family. "Your wife feeds me too well, Son!"

"Yeah, well...nobody put a gun to your head to eat so much!"

"Point taken. Thanks for coming to pick me up."

"You're welcome. Of course, now it's payback time. We have to go grocery shopping!" Sam held up the dreaded list.

"No problem. Maybe on the way we can stop at the bike shop. Oh yeah, and the florist."

"The florist?" Sam nodded as he caught on. "Planning something special for Maddie, I take it."

"Oh yeah. We've got a date tonight, remember?" He grimaced. "Oh boy, without a car...Son, do you mind if I borrow yours?"

"Yeah, go right ahead. Just keep it clean and fill up the tank."

Samuel Sr. laughed. "Son, that should be my line. Funny how the tables have turned between us, huh?"

"I can definitely say it's been interesting. Let's stop at the florist's first, then the grocery store. We'll go bike shopping tomorrow."

"You got it."

While they were at the florist's, Sam decided to get something nice for Yvette. It had been awhile since he bought her flowers, and given that he'd just been thinking earlier how he was starting to take her for granted, it would be a nice little surprise. With their bouquets in the back seat and a load of groceries in the trunk, the two men headed home. It was almost supper time, and Sam was pretty certain that some of the things on the list were necessary for Yvette to finish the meal, so he hurried home.

As he pulled into the driveway, he knew something wasn't right. The side door leading to the kitchen was ajar, and Yvette never left it that way. If it wasn't closed completely, she had it open to let fresh air in through the screen door.

"Dad, wait here." Sam reached into the glove compartment, pulled out a gun and loaded it with a clip he kept secured to the visor.

"What's up?"

"I don't know. I just don't feel right. Something's wrong."

"You got another one of those?"

"No! You stay here, got it?" His eyes darkened as they bored into his father's eyes. "I mean it." He handed him his cell phone. "If you hear anything, you call Mike and then the cops. Got it?"

Samuel Sr. nodded.

"Thanks." Sam slipped out of his seat and carefully approached the side door. He listened, but it was exceptionally quiet. He didn't hear Samuel moving about, or Yvette talking to him. She talked to him all the time, and he would babble back as if they were having the greatest conversation. But now, it was far too quiet.

He slowly opened the screen door, because he knew it made noise if opened too fast. Then he snuck inside, closed it behind him, and tiptoed up the two steps into the kitchen. He swept the room with his gun, but it was empty. The advantage to surveilling his own home was that he knew where all the creaks and cracks were, and he avoided every one on his way to the living room. He passed his father's bedroom. The door was open, which was unusual. They respected his privacy, so if it was closed, they left it alone. The room looked as if it had been ransacked. That was even more unusual. Sam moved into the living room, leveled his gun at everything, and then he froze as he spied a crumpled figure on the floor.

"Eve," he whispered and crossed the room in a few long strides. "Oh God, what happened? Eve!" He set his gun on the floor and gently rolled her to her back. A large red stain covered her abdomen, and blood poured out of a gunshot with each pulse. "Hang on, sweetheart..."

A sudden creak got his attention, and with lightning quick reflexes he picked up his gun, whirled, and fired toward the sound. A stranger stood in the dining room, holding a hand over Samuel's mouth as he held him like a football in one arm and trained a gun on Sam with the other hand. Sam's eyes widened. There was no way he had a clean shot without jeopardizing his own son's life. Still, he threatened him silently with his weapon. It didn't matter to the man, because he sneered at Sam and pulled the trigger. A white hot sensation pierced him, and the impact sent him falling backwards to the floor beside Yvette. The gunman walked calmly across the floor, stood over Sam, and aimed for his head. All Sam saw was a barrel blurred out above him.

"Come on, let's get out of here! We don't have time for this!"

The gunman growled in frustration and ran for the front door. "It was a piece of cake, I could have had him!"

The door slammed and tires squealed a few seconds later. Sam tried to rise, but it hurt too much. He gasped and his body slammed back to the floor, robbing him of breath. He weakly reached out to Yvette and covered her bleeding wound with his hand. It was useless. He knew that. But he couldn't not try, even if it was the last thing he did.

"Sammy! What happened?"

"Sam...Call an ambulance. Now!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Sam fought for the last shred of consciousness when he heard Michael's voice. Then he opened his eyes and saw his friend's face hovering over him in a haze. Someone pushed his hand off of Yvette, and he tried to put it back, but they shoved him away again.

"It's okay, Sammy. I'm taking care of Yvette. You just hang on until help gets here."

"Thanks...Dad." He returned his attention to Michael.

"Sam, what happened?"

"Mike...don't know when...they shot Eve. Got the jump on me...took...took Samuel." The words cut like a knife. "Find him, M-Mikey. Find Sammy." He drifted off into unconsciousness, unable to resist any longer.

"The ambulance should be here any minute now," Samuel said as he pressed on Yvette's wound. It worried him that she didn't respond or writhe from the pain. "Michael, why would anyone want to invade their home, shoot them both, and take off with a child?"

"I don't know, Samuel, but you can be sure Fi, Jesse, and I will be looking into it."

"Don't just look into it, Michael. This is my family, my grandson we're talking about." Anger burned in his chest and forced itself out with each word. "You find them and...take...them...out."

Sirens pierced the air in the front yard, followed by slamming doors and feet rushing to the front entrance. Michael used his foot to shove Sam's gun under the sofa and tucked his own under his suit jacket, so by the time the police entered the room, it appeared as if it were a home invasion with victims who were unable to defend themselves. It was better that way. The cops would be looking for a random kidnapper and ask no tough questions of the victims, when they were able to talk. Meanwhile, Michael and his team would find out who from their past decided to make Sam Axe's life a living hell.

Michael and Samuel Sr. stood and got out of the way as the paramedics did their work. A flash of recognition hit him as he met Campbell's eyes. He could only imagine what was behind them as he took in the sight of Sam and Yvette sprawled in a pool of blood on the wood floor. A part of him wanted to run out the door and start tracking whoever did this. But he was frozen to the spot. He couldn't leave until he knew they were okay. He sensed Samuel standing beside him, and he glanced at the older man. He was slightly shorter than his son but had the same frame. He even stood the same way that Sam might if he were upright, except his hands hung from his pockets by his thumbs, his palms staining the front of his khakis red. If Michael were one for touching people, he would have put a comforting arm around him. Instead, he just stood with him and hoped that he understood the depth of Michael's own grief at the sight before their eyes.

"Excuse me, we'd like to get statements from both of you," the officer interrupted their thoughts.

"I'm afraid there isn't much to tell," Michael answered.

"Sammy and I came home, and he noticed something was wrong," Samuel answered shakily. He recounted everything from the time Sam entered the house until he heard gunshots. "I ran in here but the assailants were already gone." His eyes met the officer's, and Samuel's were filled with tears. "They've got my grandson!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sir. Do you have a picture of him that we can use to put out an Amber Alert?"

"Y-yes, I do." He pulled out his wallet, opened it, and turned to the first leaf of photographs. He pulled out a picture of Sam, Yvette, and Samuel that was taken for a Christmas card, a card he was never sent, but Sam gave him the picture later. The family smiled and looked so happy together. He choked back a sob at the thought that things might never be the same again. Just as he regained what he lost, he was losing it all over again, and with that thought anger bubbled up to the surface. "You find him, Officer. And no mercy to the ones who took him, took my son...and my daughter..."

"Michael," Maddie's voice crossed the space, soft and concerned.

"Ma." Michael turned toward the kitchen door and beckoned her to come into the room.

"Sam...Yvette!" Her eyes widened as she took in the scene before him. "Where's Samuel? Where is he?" Her voice rose in panic with each syllable.

"Someone took him, Maddie," Samuel Sr. replied. "They came in here and shot them and took him." With every word, he crept closer to losing complete control of his emotions.

"Samuel..." Maddie moved forward, held her arms wide, and embraced him. She didn't care what Michael thought.

For such a strong man, Michael didn't expect to see this. He didn't particularly care for his mother offering her suitor comfort, but these were extenuating circumstances. He was also surprised to feel an emotional pull towards the two, so he stepped up beside them and placed tentative hands on their backs.

"Michael, we're taking Sam and Yvette to the hospital now," Campbell announced with a soft voice. "Do you want to ride with Sam? He's not in as serious shape as Yvette."

"Yeah. If he wakes up, I want to ask him about what he knows."

Campbell nodded. "I really hope somebody catches who did this. This is appalling, that someone would just come in here and steal a child from his home. I've never seen anything like it."

"Don't worry, Campbell. We'll find out who did this and get Samuel back."

He nodded. "Does Fiona know? She's going to be sick about it."

The corner of Michael's mouth tipped up slightly. "Not yet, but I'm sure she'll be devastated and she'll be on board with me. We'll get the job done."

"I have no doubt you will, Michael."

"Ma, take Samuel to the hospital. I'll meet you there. And call Fi. Please, Ma?"

She nodded through the tears streaking her mascara. "We'll see you there, Michael. All of us."

Micheal nodded, and he and Campbell walked out the door behind the two gurneys. A few seconds later, dual screams pierced the air as the sirens fired up and the ambulances took off for the hospital. Not long after, the detectives arrived. It seemed disgusting for them to barge into a home that had already been violated. Other than a few bullet holes in the floor and walls, the only other evidence of a conflict was the drying blood on the floor punctuated by the outlines of where two bodies lay.

"Folks, I'm sorry, you'll have to leave."

"Okay. Samuel...let's go." She placed a hand on his upper arm, caressed it, and gently forced him toward the kitchen door. "We'll get Fiona and then go to the hospital. Sam and Yvette will be fine, you'll see. And the police will get Samuel back. If they don't, I guarantee that Michael will."

Samuel didn't respond. He was still in shock over everything that had happened. In all his time in the military and the number of battles he found himself in the middle of, he'd never experienced anything like this. He was always under control, but this time, he was so blindsided, he didn't know how to get back his equilibrium.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Fiona was in the middle of an arms deal at a secluded area along the coast when her phone rang. She counted out the bills with a smile, handed them over and took the black bag dangling from the dealer's hands.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Rocko."

"Any time Natasha."

She always liked to use an alias, in case any deal went bad. Unlike Sam, who had a special affinity for Chuck Finley, she used a repertoire of names depending upon who she was dealing with. Rocko, which she doubted was his real name, seemed to like transacting in Russian weapons, so she used a name with a flair for the Soviet culture.

Fiona waited until she was safely in her car and on the road before checking to see who called. She needn't have bothered, because the phone rang again as she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Fiona, it's Madelyn! Please, you have to come to Sam's house right now and pick us up!"

"What? Pick you and who up? Maddie, what's going on? Where's Michael?"

"He's with Sam in the ambulance on the way to the hospital." Maddie's voice cracked. "Please, just come and get us. Neither Samuel nor I are in any condition to drive right now."

A lump formed in Fiona's throat, but she swallowed it away. "I'll be right there." She punched the accelerator and risked getting a speeding ticket, but she arrived in very little time. As she pulled into the driveway next to Sam's car, she saw Madelyn and Samuel emerge from the house. Police tape barred the front door.

"What on earth happened here?"

"Get in Maddie," Samuel urged her into the back seat, and then he took the front seat beside Fiona. "We'll tell you on the way."

As she sped to the hospital, Fiona listened to Samuel's tragic recollection, and it was all she could do to keep herself in control on the road. "I promise you, Samuel, that we will find your grandson. In the meantime, the doctors will do everything they can for Sam and Yvette. We just have to stay strong and pray. Pray a lot."

She found a parking space near the emergency entrance and they entered the waiting area together. Michael was nowhere to be seen. Fiona gently urged Samuel and Maddie to sit, and she approached the reception desk to find out what little she could on Sam and Yvette, and maybe discover where Michael had gone. She still stood there talking to the woman behind the counter when Michael pushed through the swinging doors. Fiona caught a flash of his gray suit, noting the flecks of red on it.

"Thank you for the information," Fiona said, although the woman wasn't really very helpful. Michael would know a lot more. She approached him and grabbed his arm, stopping him before he reached Samuel and Maddie. In a hushed tone, she asked, "Michael, how are they?"

"Sam is going to be just fine. He's lost a lot of blood, but it's not serious. Just clipped his shoulder. They've got him in surgery right now, but he should be in a regular room by evening."

"What about Yvette?" She kept her voice low. Yvette was her friend, and if anything happened to her, Fiona would hunt down the person who shot her in cold blood and make them pay.

"She's in bad shape, Fi, but they think she's going to pull through." He paused and swallowed a couple of times before continuing. "She was shot in the abdomen, but it's worse than that. Much worse."

"How could it get any worse?"

"She was pregnant, Fi."

Fiona's eyes widened as she gasped. "Was? Pregnant? Do you think Sam knows?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter now." Michael shook his head. While kids weren't his thing, he'd come to realize how much Sam loved little Samuel, and he knew that if Sam didn't know about this child, when he did, he would be devastated. "Apparently, the bullet... The baby's gone, Fi."

Fiona suddenly felt light-headed and leaned into Michael. "This is...it's..." It was just too tragic to illustrate with words.

"I know, Fi. Sam is going to be even more speechless when he finds out." He glanced at Samuel. "I know his dad will be really upset. He already wants to go out and rip off the heads of whoever did this. I can't imagine what he's going to want to do when he hears."

"When I hear what?"

Michael's face turned to stone when he realized it was up to him to bear the bad news. His eyes moved between Samuel and Maddie, who clung to his arm as if it were a life preserver to keep her from drowning in the unfolding tragedy. He wasn't sure it was even his news to tell. Before he could open his mouth, however, a doctor came out of the emergency suite and stopped in front of the small group.

He directed his attention toward the older man. "Are you Samuel Axe?"

"Yes, I am. How...how is my son? And Yvette?"

"Sam is going to be okay. They'll be taking him up to his room soon. He's awake, and other than being sore and a little weak from the blood loss, he's fine. He'll be out in a couple of days barring any issues with an infection." He paused. "Yvette is still in surgery. Fortunately it was a clean through wound and didn't hit any vial organs. However...I'm afraid we were unable to save the fetus, and..."

"Yvette was...pregnant?" The word crackled in Maddie's throat and she grabbed onto Samuel's arm even tighter.

"Yes, she was. About three months along. The bullet did too much damage to save it or preserve her chances of having another. I'm sorry." He paused and nervously squeezed the stethoscope in his hands. He had no experience in dealing with cases like this. "I suppose we should be thankful that she will survive."

Fiona managed to find the words to speak. "Yes, there's always that to be grateful for. Thank you, Doctor, for being so open with us. When will we be able to see her?"

"Not until tomorrow at the earliest."

"Can we go up to see Sam?" Samuel asked with a hopeful expression on his face.

The doctor smiled. "Certainly. He should be there by now, room 420."

"Thank you." Samuel turned toward the bank of elevators like a man on a mission, nearly dragging Maddie behind as she still held onto his arm. He wasn't aware of Michael and Fiona trailing, and they both warily scanned the area around them. They took the elevator to Sam's floor and continued their observation as Samuel searched for the room.

As the doctor said, Sam was awake and already restless. "Where's my stuff?"

"Mr. Axe, I'm sorry, you have to stay in bed." The nurse, although slight, was strong enough to hold his wrists and keep him from escaping. "In a couple of days you can go home."

"I don't wanna go home. I wanna get out of here and find out who did this!"

"Sam," Michael calmly spoke his name as he walked to the foot of the bed.

"Mikey! How's Eve? They won't tell me anything!"

"Mr. Axe, if you don't settle down, I'm going to have to sedate you," the nurse threatened, and she backed it up by retrieving a small vial from a drawer filled with medications. She smiled as he fell back against the raised mattress and wordlessly admitted defeat. "Now, that's how I like my patients. Cooperative." She patted his arm and turned away. "If he gets riled up, I will be back here. That's a promise."

"We'll make sure he stays in line," Samuel promised with a weak smile. As soon as the nurse was gone, he broke away from Maddie, approached his son's side, and grabbed him in a bear hug.

"Ahhh, Dad, watch that shoulder!" Sam winced until his father eased up. He wrapped his own good arm around him and accepted the sign of affection.

Maddie and Samuel settled into a couple of chairs, and Fiona and Michael stayed standing. Fiona leaned against the wall where she had a perfect line sight of the hall, the nurse's station, and the cross hallway where the elevators were. She nodded to Michael, and he knew she was keeping watch.

"Sammy, do you know why anyone would want to do this? Is there someone who might have a beef with you..." Samuel asked, eager to get to the bottom of this.

Laughing weakly, Sam replied, "Dad, if I had a dollar for every guy I ticked off in my past, I'd be rich. Right, Mikey?"

"Unfortunately, Sam's right. The list of suspects could be a mile long. Let's just narrow it down a bit. Fi, call Jesse and see if he can pull some strings to check up on some of our old enemies. If we can at least go back to the time we started working together, the three of us, that'll help."

"I'm on it, Michael." Fiona nodded and left the room.

"When you get that list together, I wanna go along," Sam declared gruffly.

"No, you're too close to this."

"What about me? I want to help nail this guy," Samuel exclaimed as his hands tightened on the bed rail.

"Samuel, this is dangerous." Maddie placed a calming hand on his arm. "Let Michael handle this. He knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, well, I could probably show this kid a thing or two. I may be old, but I'm not useless."

"We'll see what we can do. You may be able to monitor the investigation from the loft. Which reminds me, I think you better stay there for awhile until we know these people aren't coming back." He turned back to Sam. "You too, Sam. Whether they missed or shot to make a point, I don't know. We don't want them coming back to finish the job if they intended to kill you."

"The one guy who had Samuel, the one who shot me, came over and had his gun pointed at my head." Sam recalled with a pained expression. "Then his accomplice distracted him, said they had to leave. Then they were gone, and they took Samuel with them." He covered his eyes with his forearm, hiding the deep emotion rekindled by the memory.

"Do you recall anything, like how they were dressed?"

Sam shook his head and exposed his wet eyes that he blinked to clear. "They were just dressed in jeans and t-shirts, non-descript, like they were careful about not wearing something that would make them identifiable." He closed his eyes as he replayed the scene in his mind. "Now wait, the one guy who had Samuel...he had a tattoo on his forearm. It looked like a dragon. A black dragon, like some cheap prison tattoo. Yeah, that was it."

Michael let out a deep breath, uncrossed his arms, and dropped them to his sides. "Thanks, Sam. That's a start. If you think of anything else, any little detail, let me know. Fiona and I are going to see if we can find our child stealer."

"Thanks, Mike."

"No thanks necessary, Sam. This is family, and family always protects one another." He quickly turned and strode purposefully toward the door where Fiona waited.

"Mike?"

"Yeah, Sam." He stopped and turned back to his friend.

"I just thought of something else. When I first went into the house, Dad's room was a mess like somebody tore through it trying to find something." He looked up at Samuel. "Unless you were redecorating or something, or you're just a slob."

Samuel laughed at his son's joke. "No, I am definitely not a slob. My room is always kept in regulation form. You could bounce a quarter off that bed." He turned sober. "Do you think maybe my past had something to do with this, and not Sam's?"

Fiona wrinkled her nose. "Why would they bother ransacking your room if they wanted to kidnap little Samuel? That doesn't make sense."

"Looks like we'll need to get into your house, Sam, and do some digging of our own."

"Good luck with that, Michael," Fiona remarked. "The cops were all over the place and had detectives combing it, I"m sure."

"They don't know what they're looking for."

"And we do?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I have an idea. Let's meet up with Jesse and see what he can come up with."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Waiting on the sidelines was not Sam's thing. Having the cops ask him all kinds of questions that were so off the mark of where Michael's investigation was going made him want to laugh at their incompetence. No, he had to be fair. They just didn't have the same information that Michael had to work with, even though he gave them the timeline and every little detail from the moment he pulled into the driveway until he lay in his and Eve's blood. They searched his dad's room and came up with nothing that would lead them to a kidnapper. As the hours dragged, Sam grew more and more restless. They wouldn't let him out of bed to see Eve. He couldn't go home or to Michael's loft. All he could do was lie there and heal. Sam was not a patient man, especially when it came to finding his son.

He heard a soft knock on the door and a platinum blonde head poked around it. "Sam? Are you up for some company?"

"Sure, Maddie. Come on in."

"How are you holding up, honey?" She ran her hand up his arm and picked at some stray hairs cascading over his forehead. Then she leaned in and kissed the spot.

"Thanks for asking...Mom." He teased, but then the frustrated furrow returned to his brow."How do you think I'm holding up, when I can't go anywhere or do anything? This place is going to drive me nuts. If I could get out of here, I could track down some leads for Mike, and..."

"No! Michael told you you're too close to this situation, and he's right! When you get out of here, you're coming back to the loft to rest. We've got some comfortable temporary beds for everyone, and it's safe. You need safe right now."

"I need to see Eve. I need to find out why no one will tell me anything about her condition." Sam shifted in his bed. "I mean, I don't even know if she's alive!"

Madelyn smiled reassuringly. "Yes, she's alive, Sam. She's in the ICU for now, but hopefully they'll be able to move her soon." She didn't dare tell him about the baby, not now. He would be angry later that they withheld that information from him, but it was for the best at the moment.

"Where's my dad?"

"He's...he's helping Michael."

"No way, Maddie. He's..."

"He's perfectly capable of assisting! Your dad is a smart man, and he's already helped them with a few leads."

"Such as?" Sam raised his eyebrows, urging her to continue.

"He did some digging on the internet and he found something. That's all I know."

Sam chuckled mirthlessly. "Okay, Maddie. Whatever. I have a feeling this has gone beyond revenge, like we were targeted for a reason. I'm on the right track, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry, Sam. I never should have brought it up!" She sat in the chair next to his bed and shifted her purse in her lap. He knew that fidgeting. She was wishing for a cigarette.

"You know you don't have to babysit me. I'll be fine. Besides, I'm kind of..." He yawned dramatically. "Um, kind of tired right now anyway."

"Oh, okay, Sam. I'll come by later and see you."

"Hey, wait a second. There's something I've been wanting to ask you ever since the barbecue."

"Yes?"

"Are you...are you and my dad getting serious?"

"Serious?" Maddie smiled. "That could mean a lot of things. If you're wondering if we're sleeping together, well, that's none of your business. Especially if we were." She sniffed and turned away, hesitated, and returned to Sam's bedside. "Sam, I really like your dad and he likes me. But he's learned from the mistakes of his past... so when he does get 'serious', everyone will know." She smiled warmly, leaned over and hugged him. "You behave yourself, you hear?"

"Oh yeah. I'll be good, I promise." But Maddie missed the devilish twinkle in his eye. He waited until he heard the elevator ping at its arrival, gave it a few more minutes, and carefully picked up his IV and got out of bed. He knew that somewhere on the floor there was a family waiting area with a computer. If he could just log in for a little while, maybe he could do his own digging.

The floor was cool on his bare feet, but it was bearable becaue it masked the sound of his steps as he carefully made his way to the door. Just a couple more feet and he would have to hang onto the back of his gown as he traveled the hall, or risk giving any and all a show. Bringing attention to himself was the last thing he needed. Two more steps. One more...

"Mr. Axe! Do we have to restrain you in your bed?" The nurse who always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time stood blocking the door, her arms crossed in front of her and a scowl on her face. "You shouldn't be up running around in your weakened state. Get back to that bed. Now...before I have to call an orderly."

Sam gave her a weak grin. "I just need access to a computer for a little while."

"You'll have to wait, Mr. Axe. You're being discharged tomorrow, that is if you mind the doctor's instructions. Then you can go home and get all the computer time you want."

"I can't go home. Thanks for reminding me."

Her expression softened at the hurt in his voice. "I'm sorry, Mr. Axe. I...I forgot about your, um, situation." She gently took his elbow and guided him back to bed. "Have the police come up with any idea where your son could be? It's all over the news. It even went national. But they aren't saying much."

"No one will tell me what's going on, out there or in here." With a deep sigh, Sam pressed himself back into the bed and allowed her to swing his legs up and underneath the covers. "Do you know anything about my wife? Why won't they let me see her?"

"If I get permission to take you up to ICU, will you stay in bed until I come back?"

"Yes."

She hung up his IV and smiled for the first time. "I'll see what I can do."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Yvette looked so fragile lying in the bed, and it only strengthened Sam's resolve to help find who did this. He sat for a couple hours with her, holding her hand, praying she'd wake up. While he waited, her doctor came in and told him everything, and the news settled in like a heavy weight on his shoulders. _I was going to be a father...again? Did whoever did this know? How could they? And if Eve knew, why didn't she tell me? _Countless questions swirled around in his head, disorienting him. He laid his forehead on the bed rail in a vain attempt to support himself against the rising conflict inside.

"Sam?" The voice was weak, but it was hers. "Are you okay?"

His head came up suddenly, too fast, and he momentarily saw spots. He shook them away and beamed at his wife as he replied, "I'm fine, Eve. We're all worried about you."

"It hurts so much, Sam." Her eyes flooded with tears and she gripped his hand tighter. "Almost as bad as giving birth." She sniffled and began to cry.

"Shhh, sweetheart. It's okay." Sam stood and gathered her in his arms to let her exhaust her tears. "I know...I know about the baby."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you. I was going to tell you at supper..."

He shushed her softly and stroked her hair. "It's okay. It doesn't matter anymore anyway."

"I know. The doctor told me." Her tears continued to flow. "I wanted just one more...just one more. Was that too much to ask? And now the one we were blessed with is gone." She couldn't speak, and Sam just held her for a long time, unable to say anything to comfort her.

The idea of having another child was, until today, not even on his radar. They were happy with Samuel, and he really couldn't imagine having a second one. But after he heard the news, a grain of what might have been crept into his brain. Deep down he always wished he'd had a brother or sister. If he closed his eyes, he could even imagine another sandy blonde haired child running around the back yard giggling, playing with Samuel. But that reality was nipped in the bud, and they were left with empty hands. He wanted to scream at the silence, to vent the frustration and anger at whoever would be bold enough to shatter their lives this way. When they released him, Mike, Fi, his dad, Maddie, Jesse, and anybody else who tried to stop him would have a hard time standing in his way. He would find the murderer and kidnapper of his children.

"Mr. Axe, you really should go back to bed and rest," the nurse who brought him to see Yvette spoke. She must have gone back to her floor, because Sam noted as he glanced at the clock that over two hours had passed. He didn't feel so antagonistic towards her anymore, and when she gave him a small sympathetic smile, he nodded.

"I'll come in and see you before they release me, Eve." He squeezed her hand and gently slipped out of her arms.

"I'll be waiting." A smile shone through her trails of tears. It broke his heart that he couldn't be with her, comfort her as she worked through her grief. They should be together at a time like this. But when he got out, he had a job to do and he was going to need every bit of strength he could muster in order to do it.

As she tucked him back into bed, his nurse said, "I'm surprised at you, Mr. Axe. No fighting, no protests." She cocked an eyebrow at him and placed a fist on her hip. "You're not cooking up some scheme to hatch after I get off shift, are you?"

"No, ma'am. You're right, I need my rest and I'm going to get it."

"Alright then. Have a good night, Mr. Axe. Sleep well, and I'll see you tomorrow." She walked out of the room on shoes that barely made a sound.

Sam stared at the ceiling and watched the shadows lengthen as the day turned into night. Now and then he drifted off to a light sleep broken by visions of his family. Always, they ended with the same thing: the sight of the assailant standing over him with the gun, Samuel cradled between his forearm and body. It suddenly hit him. Samuel wasn't struggling. A new wave of grief overtook him. _What if he was already dead? But then why would they take him? Why did they take him to begin with? _A lump worked its way up his chest and spilled out through the tears in his eyes. _We have to get him back. Dear God, how much more can we take? Keep him safe, and bring him home to us. Please!_

When he settled down again, Sam started thinking about other details of that day, and that led to little bits and pieces of recollection that seemed so innocent at the time, but as a whole began to make sense. Two weeks earlier, he took Samuel to a playground near the beach. As he put him on the slide and held onto him as the child slid down, giggling all the way, he noticed a man sitting on a park bench nearby watching. There was a longing in his eyes that didn't make an impression on Sam's conscious mind, but now, he had to wonder. He didn't watch any of the other children, just Samuel. They met Yvette at the park and went to the beach as a family. As they passed him, Sam didn't pay attention at the time, but he could feel the man's eyes intent on them as they walked away.

It would be impossible to find out who he was. Still, as Sam finally slipped into a delicious rest, he decided that his first order of business would be to stake out the park and look for clues. He would work alone, because the minute anyone knew of his motives, they would jump all over him. He wouldn't put it past Fiona to handcuff him to Mike's stairs, and she would have help. He would go under the pretense of needing fresh air. Yeah, he could make it work.


	12. Chapter 12

I don't normally post a story like this in its first draft, but I'm having a really great time writing this in a serial format, and I know you guys are enjoying it, so I'm forging ahead!

**Chapter 12**

Maybe it was the motivation to search the park, or the fact that Sam was going home, or rather, Mike's place, but he felt better than he had all week. He let everyone show their concern and Maddie treated him like a kid, but if they thought he would surrender and be a good recovering patient while they went to work, it could only aid his own plan. Samuel had to work at Carlito's, Michael and Fiona were tracking down more leads, and Madelyn had a hair appointment, or so she said. Sam suspected that maybe she was doing her own investigating, but he couldn't be sure.

"Now Sam, promise me you'll stick around here and not do anything," Maddie urged as she checked her purse for her keys. "There's plenty of food in the fridge, and stuff to drink, so there's no reason for you to go anywhere." She glanced at him over her sunglasses.

"Understood, Maddie. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll just sit here and...read." He held up Fiona's copy of Guns & Ammo and grinned. "Lots of interesting articles in here, let me tell you."

Maddie frowned and pointed at him with the hand that held a smoldering cigarette. "I mean it, Sam! If I come back in an hour and find you gone, well, I don't want to be the brunt of Michael's wrath."

The lightbulb went on in Sam's head. As a mother, she understood the depth of his protective instincts toward his son. She knew he had something he wanted to investigate, and she was giving him license to go for it. Maddie risked getting into trouble with Mike for him. That realization rocked him, and he developed a new love and appreciation for the woman.

"Maddie...look, I know you don't really have anywhere to go. And to tell you the truth," he said, when in fact it was a lie. "I'm not sure I can walk to where I want to go without getting tired. Will you drive me?" He was perfectly capable of walking to the park. He just wanted Maddie along because she would cover him if Michael asked questions later.

Maddie's face broke into a sunny grin. "I'll be happy to, Sam! Let's go!"

As they rode to the park, Sam told her about what he remembered from that day. She listened intently and didn't say anything until he finished. "I really hope I'm wrong, because trying to find this guy would be like finding a grain of rice on the beach. It's not like we could get DNA off the bench, know it was his, and do a search of the government database." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Maddie. I probably dragged you out here for nothing."

"Well, the worst thing that could happen is we find nothing. The best thing that happens is we find something. We'll never know until we try." She parked in a space, turned off the car, and lit another cigarette. "Let's see what we come up with first, okay?"

Sam led Maddie to the bench where the man sat. They looked at it, and Sam ran his hands over the slats hoping to find something, anything. Even a few fibers from his clothing would have been worth a few splinters. His wedding ring caught against a piece of paper wedged in between the slats. It was stuck so deeply, he didn't see it at first.

"I think I found something." He pulled out his pocket knife and used it to push the paper through the slat. It fell onto the sandy ground and he reached under the bench to retrieve it. Then he sat on the bench and unfolded it.

"What is it?" Maddie sat beside him.

"Might be nothing. I don't know." It was a piece of paper from a small notebook, and it appeared to have been there awhile. The afternoon rains must have soaked it because it was still slightly damp in the center and the blue lines smudged, but the words were crystal clear. "Whoever wrote this was thinking about it being in the elements for awhile. They used waterproof ink to write it."

Maddie rested her chin on his shoulder and read the note aloud. "Dear Sam, you don't remember me but I remember you. We used to be old friends, but your actions cost me a career. Now I've been forced to take up other employment. Your kid is adorable, and not only will he make some more deserving parents happy, he's going to help me get what I want in life. Money and revenge." She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice came out raspy. "Sam, who is this? They're sick!"

"I don't know. I have no idea what I could have done to cost somebody their career."

"He says you're old friends. Think, Sam! Who was a friend in your past but isn't any longer? And what caused you two to drift apart?"

"Maddie," he spoke her name on a long sigh. "When you get into the spy business, special forces, whatever, your sphere of friendship dwindles until you have just a small core of people you can trust. I mean, look at us, Mike and me. Beyond Eve, Fi, Jesse, you and my dad, there's nobody. No one at all." He shook his head. "It's a hazard of the job."

"So there are dozens of people you could have hurt in the past?" The words came out clipped.

"That's not what I'm saying." He let out a frustrated growl. "Come on, let's go to Carlito's. I need a beer and a place to think."

It was within walking distance, so they hiked to the bar. Sam stretched out the paper in his hands and read the rest of it as Maddie walked beside him, navigating him out of the way of other people on the sidewalk. "After the money and revenge part, it says that for a mere two million dollars I can have Samuel back."

"Two million dollars?"

"Yeah, just two million dollars. He's worth a whole lot more than that to us, and right now, if I had that kind of serious cash, I'd just do it."

"Sam, you couldn't. Then you'd just be enabling him to do it again to someone else." She shook her head fiercely. "No, I don't even want you to try to raise the money. This guy could be bluffing, trying to trap you so he can finish destroying you and your life. I won't let you fall for it. None of us will." She looked up at him, and although her eyes were covered by her sunglasses, Sam knew she meant business.

"Okay, I get it, Maddie. So what do we do?" A weak smile crossed his lips. "Hey, I've got an idea. I know a guy who can analyze paper and ink and stuff, and he might be able to pin down whether or not this ink is unique. If it is, then that means there are a limited number of places where it can be purchased, and maybe..."

"You're going to track down a kidnapper by following an ink trail?"

Sam shrugged. "Stranger things have happened. I mean, waterproof ink isn't as common as you might think. And this stuff, don't ask me why, but it has a special texture to it. There's definitely something different about it."

"I'm not sure I could handle working cases with you and Michael and Fiona. The things you three come up with!"

Sam laughed. "Even better, we actually have something with concrete DNA on it. My fed buddies can analyze it, and if I served with this person at some point, they're probably going to have some information that will link them to this." As he spoke, hope sprung into the center of his being. "Okay, this calls for a celebratory beer. Come on, Maddie, I'm buying!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Sammy, what are you doing here? Maddie, he should be home resting!"

"There'll be plenty of time for resting after Samuel is home safe and sound," Sam replied as he ignored the concerned look his father gave him and sat on a bar stool. Maddie settled in next to him. "Two beers, Dad." He was so intent on the piece of paper that he didn't notice that the bottle placed before him contained... "Ack, Dad, that's...non-alcoholic beer! That's terrible! I want a real beer, not this crap."

"Son..."

"Dad..."

They stared off for several seconds until Samuel Sr.'s eyes shifted and took in the paper in Sam's hand. "Hey, what's that?"

"You're stalling. The beer, Dad?"

"Yeah, yeah." He reached under the bar, grabbed Sam's favorite brand, and popped it open. "Don't blame me if you get sick or something. Now, what is that?"

"It's a ransom note of sorts. We found it at the park where we take Samuel all the time. A couple of weeks ago a guy was sitting there watching us, and I didn't think about it at the time, but it was kind of creepy the way he was staring." He closed his eyes a moment to picture the man. "He kind of reminds me of someone from my SEAL days. But to my knowledge I never wrecked anybody's career."

Samuel Sr. took the note from his son's hand.

"Careful, hold it by the edges. Don't want to mess up any fingerprints."

Samuel nodded, laid it on the bar, and read it. "Wow. This guy sounds really unstable. I think you should put together a list of everyone you can think of that you worked with on a team and then narrow it down. You know, if the guy you remember was a blonde, strike off the dark haired guys."

"That's great, Dad, except it's been a few years. They're all gonna be graying like me."

"Yeah, you're right." He seemed distracted. His thumb ran over the edge of the the paper at the bottom of the page as he stood in thought. "You know, Son, there's something weird about this ink."

"Yeah, I thought so too." Sam took a drink. "What do you think it is?"

"It's slick, like paint almost."

"It's waterproof, I think."

"I would check out a stationery store or a craft store where they sell ink. They might just know what this is."

Sam smiled. "Thanks for the tip, Dad. Hey, when do you get off work?"

"Oh..." Samuel Sr. checked his watch. "In about a half hour. There's a little shop in the galleria just around the corner we could start with."

"We'll finish our beers, and then when you get off work, we can all go over there together to check this out." Sam declared with a sense of excitement in his voice. "In the meantime, I think I'm gonna make a few calls. Excuse me." He got up, took his beer, and moved to a corner where there was an empty padded chair and it was quiet. He held the note between his thumb and fingers as he talked on the phone.

"Maddie, I'm not so sure he should be working on this...case. This is his son who's in danger!"

"That makes it even more important for him to participate. How would you feel in his shoes?" Maddie lit a cigarette, caught Samuel Sr.'s disapproving look and stubbed it out. "Somehow I think you'd do the same thing."

"Not if I was the man I'd been at his age, or younger. I was still too much into my career, and by that time I'd pretty much lost my family anyway. So no, I wouldn't have gone to any great length to get Sam back. I know, that sounds really bad, but that's not me anymore." He sighed. "Now, I'd pound every mile of pavement in this town and wouldn't rest until I found him."

"So you'll help?"

"You bet I will!"

"I knew you would." Maddie grinned and placed a hand over the one he rested on the bar. "You're a good man, Samuel. Sam is lucky to have you around, because I have a feeling he's going to need everyone he can get helping him."

"I just hope we're not on the wrong track here. I mean, somebody tore up my room at the house. Why'd they do that?"

"Maybe that was a ploy to get us on the wrong track, but we didn't go for it!"

Samuel shook his head and sighed, and he busied himself by wiping down the bar to Maddie's right. "I wonder if Michael and Fiona have found anything. I know it's only been a few days, but you know they say that the first 48 hours are the most critical. Or something like that. I don't know, don't mind me. Just an old geezer blithering on about something he knows nothing about."

Maddie smiled tenderly at his gentle rant that spoke loud and clear about his anxiety over his missing grandson. She squeezed his hand and he stopped polishing the bar. "It's okay."

Sam rejoined them. "Well, I talked to some of my buddies at the FBI and got a hold of Pearce at the CIA. She said Mike and Fi have been in the office all afternoon doing computer checks, and after I gave her what I remembered about that guy, she said she would pass it along to them." He paused and set his empty bottle on the bar.

"You want another one, Sammy?"

"No thanks. Maybe some ice tea, though."

"Sure thing." Samuel turned away to get a glass for him.

"Okay, this must be something serious," Maddie declared as she eyed Sam.

"It is. After we check out that stationery store, my friends at the FBI want me to come in and look at some suspects. Their handwriting expert will examine the note, and they can probably analyze the ink, too. I just want to get another opinion before we go to the Feds." Sam's phone rang, and he answered it. "Yeah, Mike... oh, yeah? Uh huh, that's what my dad was thinking. It's a lot of guys to go through...you did...well, that narrows it down quite a bit. You have any pics of these guys?" He listened some more and nodded. "Okay, we'll see you at the loft in a couple hours...No, I'm not..." He spoke quickly, justifying his actions. "Okay, yes, I am. My dad's got a good lead, we're just going to check it out...and then we're going to the FBI office. We'll see you after that." He hung up the phone before Michael could berate him for taking a role in the investigation.

"Michael wasn't happy about you getting involved," Maddie stated flatly as she picked up her beer.

"You could say that."

"Don't worry about him, honey. He's just worried about you."

The corner of Sam's mouth tipped up into a smile. "Yeah, I know. I'd be the same way if he were in my shoes. But he also knows I just can't sit still and wait for everyone to do the legwork. The cops sure don't seem to be in any hurry to solve this." He shook his head slowly. "I called the station and talked to Paxson. Can you believe it? Never thought I'd willingly talk to her again. Anyway, she couldn't tell me anything, and even if she could, she wouldn't. I just got the impression they're up against a brick wall and they're getting nowhere."

"Well, my shift is over and Benny's here to take over. I'll be right back." Samuel soon reappeared with his sunglasses perched on his head. "Alrighty then, let's do this!"

The trio walked up the street to the small shopping center that was more for the tourists than the locals, although they did have some interesting specialty shops such as the stationery store. It was a small piece of real estate, but inside it was packed from floor to ceiling with every type of paper and ink imaginable, writing utensils from real feather quills to Mont Blanc pens. They split up and looked through the inventory before interviewing the shop keeper.

"Sam, I think I found something," Samuel announced and pushed through a narrow aisle to stand beside his son. In one hand he held a hard bound blank book. "Check out this paper."

Sam ran his hand over the surface as he pulled out the note. "It's exactly the same."

Samuel turned the book over and read the label. "It says this is water-resistant. With waterproof ink that would explain why it felt so strange."

"Is this the only place in town that sells this stuff, though?"

"The only way to find out is to ask," Samuel replied with a grin before turning toward the counter. "Excuse me, Miss, can you help me? I have some questions about this paper."

"Certainly, Sir. What did you need to know?" The pretty young saleswoman smiled at both him and Sam, who stood next to his father.

"It says it's water-resistant. So does that mean that the lines can still bleed?"

"Yes, that's correct, although it would take more exposure to do so."

"Is this the only store that sells water-resistant paper, or books like this?"

"No, there are a few others, but it's such a rarity that anyone buys it. Most people don't think it's worth the extra money."

"Have you sold any of this paper recently," Sam asked.

"I think we did a few weeks ago. Why do you ask?"

"It's part of an investigation," Sam replied.

The girl's brow furrowed. "You guys don't look like cops." She gave their Hawaiian shirts and khakis a once-over.

"Did you hear about the little boy who was kidnapped," Maddie asked as she stood to Samuel's right. "These two are his grandpa and father. The police aren't helping us find him, and...and we've had to track down every lead ourselves." She threw in a little sniffle for effect, and it worked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Wait a few minutes, and I'll see if I can find out anything about that transaction. Just stay here, I'll be right back!" She hurried into the back room and quickly emerged with a tablet PC. "We have everything on a mainframe at our parent company, but I can access it with this." She tapped the screen, swept a few things around, and in a matter of minutes, she announced, "I found it! A water-resistant book was bought by someone a couple of weeks ago... but they paid cash." She looked up at the three. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have given you something else to go on."

"Well, maybe you can take a look at this and tell us what kind of ink this is, if you sell it, and maybe you'll have some records of selling it about the same time as the book," Sam suggested as he held out the note. "Just touch the bottom there."

"Of course, we don't want to ruin any fingerprints, do we?" She smiled knowingly and ran her fingers over the ink. "That's not something we sell. As a matter of fact, this isn't real waterproof ink."

"It's not?"

"No. Now, I'm only guessing here, but I'm thinking this is just a standard ink that has had some polymer mixed in, like some kind of glue, to make it waterproof. I've heard of people using gesso to do this."

"What the heck is gesso?" Maddie asked.

"It's a priming medium for canvas. Acrylic painters use it to get that nice bright white look on their canvases before they paint. If it's a polymer base, it works well with ink to bind to paper and make it relatively waterproof. But you have to be an expert to know how to mix it yourself."

Sam pursed his lips and took the note back. "Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome. Anything I can do to to help bring that sweet little baby home!"

He smiled at her. "We appreciate it." They left the store and Sam took a right, heading back to where he and Maddie left the car. "Okay, now we can go to my Fed friends. We've got a little more detail to give them...hopefully it helps."

"You know, it would make sense for the kidnapper to have bought the book at that store," Samuel said as he fell into step next to his son. "It's within walking distance of the park, which is where he left the note."

"I wonder if he lives around here and he's watching us right now. Probably laughing at us running around looking for clues," Maddie spoke. "If so, then he's really sick."

"I don't know, Maddie. The only thing that seems certain right now is that we need to get this piece of paper to the FBI and have them analyze it to death," Sam said as he carefully folded the sheet and stuck it in his shirt pocket.

"Let's get a move on. Time is wasting," Samuel exclaimed and picked up his pace.

_For an old guy, he can really move._ Sam lengthened his strides, and poor Maddie had to trot to keep up.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Sam Axe. Haven't seen you in awhile," Agent Lane said as he greeted Sam with a handshake in the reception area of the FBI's Miami headquarters.

"What you mean is, it hasn't been long enough," Sam cracked in response.

Lane laughed, but quickly sobered. "Hey, I heard about your kid. Sorry to hear about it. When I got word you were coming over with a ransom note, both Harris and I perked up. He's in a meeting right now, but hopefully he'll join us shortly." He glanced at Samuel and Maddie. "And who are your friends?"

Sam introduced them. "This is Michael Westen's mom Maddie, and my dad, Samuel Axe."

Lane nodded. "I bet that gets a little confusing around your house."

"Yes, it does. Even more so with my son, Samuel Axe," Sam replied. "The third."

Lane shook his head. "Well, why don't I escort you to the lab and we'll have our tech take a look at that note?" He led them through the bowels of the building until they entered a small windowless room full of all sorts of scientific equipment. The middle of the room was clear of everything except a table holding some specimens and a computer.

"Nancy? You here?"

"Be right there!" A few seconds later, a homely looking young woman appeared out of a side room carrying a box. "Hi, I'm Nancy Ward, crime lab tech. Hey, are you the guy with the note?"

"Got it right here," Sam replied and held it aloft. She set the box down on another table, reached up and gently pulled it from his fingers.

"Funky paper."

"It's water-resistant. We found that much out already," Sam said and enlightened her with the information they received from the stationery store.

"I see." She slipped on a pair of magnifiers and looked closer at the paper. "This is pretty new paper. I can tell by the grain that it's a more modern construction. This ink, though, is a home brew, just like that woman at the store said. I can analyze the chemical compound. I'll check for prints. Were you able to handle it without messing them up too much?"

"We held it by the edges."

"Good. Just in case, I want to get everyone's prints now, so I can differentiate them from our kidnapper's." She took a set of the trio's fingerprints and began her work on the document. Before doing anything to it, she took some photographs. "If you don't mind leaving it with me for a few days, I'll go over this thing with a fine-toothed comb. I'll find something, I know it. When I get some prints, we can put them into our database, check the military records, everything. People like this think they're so careful, but they always slip up somewhere."

"Thanks, Nancy," Sam said, reluctant to leave the one good piece of evidence they had with the FBI. But when he saw the determined look in her eyes, he felt assured that she would do everything she could to identify the kidnapper.

They three exited the building and put on their sunglasses. The hot Miami sun beat mercilessly down onto the pavement, and for a moment, Sam wondered if Samuel was somewhere cool and comfortable, or if he was being kept in some hot and filthy abandoned building. Was he upset? Or was he oblivious to the danger he was in? He could drive himself crazy thinking along those lines, or at least drain the last of the energy he had in his body. As it was, all the activity was starting to take its toll. He shook away the depressing thoughts and said, "Let's get back to the loft and see what Mike and Fi came up with."

"You look like you could use some rest," Maddie noted as she held him by the arm. "We shouldn't have let you do this to yourself."

"It's okay. We made some progress today. I know it."

When they arrived at the car, Sam was beat. He sat in the back seat and Samuel rode beside Maddie up front. The drive wasn't far back to Michael's, but it seemed to take forever. Sam fought to keep his eyes open now that he was nestled into the comfortable seat. He noticed two hands clasped together on the console, and his dad glanced back at him a few times while they waited at a light. Some Miami stoplights were so long, Sam swore he lost at least a year of his life waiting for them to change in the few short years he'd lived there. He fell asleep and didn't wake up until his father shook him.

"Hey, Sammy, we're back at Michael's place. Wake up!"

"What? We're there already?"

Samuel laughed. "You were really out there, Son. Come on, let's get you inside and you can rest."

"No, gotta find out what Mike and Fi have."

"It can wait." Samuel supported his son with an arm around his waist and draped one of Sam's arms over his shoulders. "And I'm not gonna argue about it with you. You're not gonna do anyone, much less yourself, any good if you wear yourself out."

"Yeah, you're right, Dad." He took the stairs with his father, entered the loft, and allowed himself to be steered toward a cot in the shadows. "Wake me up if there's anything really good, okay?"

"Will do, Son." He waited until Sam settled on the cot and his breathing evened out. Then he joined Maddie, Michael and Fiona at the kitchen island. "Okay, what have you got?"

"We'll have to wait until Sam wakes up. These are photographs of people he worked with, about twenty to thirty years later."

"I thought Sam said the guy he saw was younger," Maddie exclaimed as she glanced at the small pile of photographs strewn on the surface. "Now, wait a minute. I know this guy." She pushed the photos out of the way and picked up one that was partially buried. "I've seen this fella somewhere. I don't know where, but he looks really familiar."

Michael took the photo, turned it over, and read the label. "Lieutenant Commander Andrew Shane Beckett. He was a subordinate of Sam's, if I'm not mistaken. Fi..."

"I'm looking for that file." She rifled through a small stack of manila folders until she found what she sought. "Here it is. He was a career sailor and a SEAL, and he served on several teams with Sam. I don't see anything in here that could have been attributed to Sam's actions, or lack thereof. It says he was dishonorably discharged, but it was due to insubordination. How could that have been Sam's fault? Why blame him?"

"There's a psych evaluation in here too, Fi."

"What about this?" Samuel pulled out a sheet from farther into the folder. "Says he was married, twice. Currently married to the second wife...hmm, had a child in '09, but the child died a year later."

"The psych evaluation doesn't mention that," Michael declared as he scanned it. "This was done before the discharge, but the discharge was after the baby's death." He rubbed his index finger across his chin in thought.

"Are you thinking that losing his child put him over the edge, and then he did something that caused him to be discharged?"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking, Ma."

"But it still doesn't make any sense..." Fiona's voice trailed off. "Wait a minute. In 2002, Lt. Commander Beckett was on a mission in Afghanistan...Michael, this was one of the last missions Sam had in that region. Anyway, he disobeyed Sam's orders and put the entire team in jeopardy." Her finger ran along the lines as she read and gave a short version of the report. "There were several casualties because of Beckett's actions. He's lucky he didn't get thrown out then and there!"

"Sam could probably give us more detail on what happened, if it's not classified. Technically, none of you should even be looking at this. Only Sam and me." Michael blinked. "But Pearce gave them to me for safe keeping, and she trusted I would do the right thing with them." He smiled slightly.

"We'll have to wait for Sam to look at these, but I'm thinking this has got to be our guy," Fiona declared as she tucked the photograph into the folder and closed it.

"Is there any information on where he could be now," Samuel asked.

"Since his discharge, he's lived in several places around the country," Fiona answered when she found the information. "However, until his last prescribed counseling session with a military shrink, he had a Miami address."

"He's probably moved since he kidnapped Samuel." Maddie looked as if she could spit on the man if he were there at that moment.

"We don't know he's the one who kidnapped him, Ma. But if I were to bet on it, he would be my first choice."

"Michael, under his interests...he's a painter. Artistic tendencies, it says, works in acrylic paints, ink drawings, and pastels." Her eyebrows shot up. "He just keeps getting more likely as I turn the pages."

"So he cracked, he lost his livelihood, his child, and one marriage. And for some reason he blames all of it on Sam," Michael summed it up in two sentences. "We need to do some digging and find out where he is now. Fi, come with me. Ma, you and Samuel stay here with Sam." He pointed at her. "And if either of you, or both of you, start snooping around on your own...you'll have to answer to me. Got it?" He glanced toward the cot where Sam lay sleeping. "Just keep watch over him. We don't know, this guy might come after Sam or send someone to take care of his dirty work. He needs your protection."

"You got it, Mike," Samuel responded and patted his hip. "Sam gave me a gun, and I know how to use it." He smiled. "You two go on, I promise we'll stay here. I think I've had enough excitement for one day."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Thunder rumbled and rattled the large windows, startling Sam from his sleep. He opened his eyes and realized it was night. _How long was I out?_ He checked his watch and noted that he'd slept ten hours. He knew he'd drained himself, but he underestimated by how much. A flash of lightning, followed by more thunder, allowed him to see the others. Michael and Fi were in their usual place, Maddie slept on a cot near the balcony doors, and his father's cot was only a few feet from hers. He laughed to himself. _Wonder how Mike felt about that?_

He was thirsty. As he rose, Sam noted that he was still dressed in his clothes from the day before. Apparently no one wanted to disturb him, and he appreciated that. Only now he was wide awake at 2 a.m. with nothing but his missing son to occupy his mind. He opened the fridge, careful to keep the light from spilling across the room and waking up his dad. He pulled out a pitcher of tea and grabbed an orange. Since they were all holed up there, the amount and quality of the food inside the fridge went up considerably.

A flash of lightning illuminated the bar, and he saw the file folders stacked on top. _These must be what Mike and Fi got from their investigation. Don't think they'd mind if I poked around a little._

Sam grabbed the pile and tucked it under one arm, balanced the orange on the rim of his glass, and carried everything up the steps to the small loft they constructed as Michael's office. He turned on the desk lamp and perused the files, starting with the one on top. He quickly scanned them, not seeing anything of value, and just as he was beginning to feel some frustration at the lack of progress, he opened the file of Lt. Commander Patterson. _ Shay. What are you doing in this stack? _He smiled a little at the name. Sam remembered the easy-going guy who was a great companion on shore leave. A lot of good memories, and probably a lot more things they forgot in an alcohol-induced haze.

The picture caught his attention. _He certainly didn't age gracefully. What happened to you, man? You look like life has handed you a load of crap._ Sam pored over the file, and as the details of Shay's past and present were revealed, a lump of dread settled into his stomach. _This can't be. It can't be you who did this! Shay...what happened to you? _Sam thought back to the last time he'd seen his friend, shortly after Sam arrived in Miami.

_Sam looked up from the paper he was reading when he heard a short whistle. He knew that sound, and as his head came up, he cocked a grin. "Shay! How's it going? Have a seat, man. I didn't know you were in Miami."_

_ "Yeah. I'm here for awhile. Deidre's got family here." He sat heavily in the chair across from Sam._

_ "Deirdre?" _

_ "Dede. You don't remember her, man?" He grinned. "I wound up marrying her. She's great." His voice couldn't belie the body language. Sam read him like a book and wondered what was bothering his old friend._

_ "Congrats, Shay."_

_ Shay looked like he had a lot on his mind. "I heard they dumped you here. Sorry about that, Sam. You didn't deserve an end to your career like that. Then again, neither did I."_

_ "What happened?"_

_ Shay looked around, everywhere but at Sam as he answered, "I got a dishonorable discharge. Just because I'm having some tough times and the commanding officer had it out for me..."_

_ "Shay, come on. What really happened?"_

_ "I...I punched the Commander because he was being a real idiot. If we'd listened to him, we would have all gotten killed. I gave him my opinion, he didn't like it, and...it just escalated, man. It wasn't my fault."_

_ Sam sighed and leaned back in his chair as he studied him. "Shay...this seems to be a pattern here. In Afghanistan..."_

_ "There was another way into that village. I saw it! Why didn't you listen?"_

_ Sam took a swig of his beer. "Believe me, I would have loved to if it was just our team, but we had support coming in. If we changed our tactics that drastically, it could have cost a lot of lives we didn't have to lose. You know that."_

_ Shay sneered at Sam and pushed his chair back with such force, Sam's bottle teetered and fell, spilling the last of his beer on the table. "You were my best friend, man. I thought you'd get it. I should have known, the minute you outranked me, it was over. Someday, you're gonna be sorry you got me into this mess. Some day."_

A lump of sadness formed in his throat as Sam whispered, "Looks like it's someday, pal."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

A particularly loud clap of thunder nearly overhead shook the bed and woke Michael, punctuating through the hiss of rain against the windows. He startled and sat up, thinking it was an explosion, but he quickly settled down when he realized it was just a storm. Fiona stirred and he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He looked toward Sam's bunk and saw it was empty. As a pit of worry settled into his stomach he checked the time and noticed a faint light spilling down from the loft. When he looked up, Sam was at the desk intently poring over the files. Michael shook his head in disbelief. Sam should be getting his rest. He got out of bed and approached him carefully. Sam was so wrapped up in his examination that he didn't even notice Michael sneaking up on him until it was too late. Or so he thought.

"Good thing you're not Shay, Mikey, or I'd have plugged ya before you even got up here." Sam spoke with a soft voice and gave his friend a thin smile. "You better work on that brother, you're gettin' soft."

Michael knew Sam's moods, and despite the fact that it was 3:30 in the morning, he was in good spirits. "I was more concerned about you. You should be sleeping, Sam."

"I got plenty of rest yesterday. I slept ten hours, you know." He sighed heavily as he flipped through more pages of Shay's file. "The more I see, the more convinced I am that Shay took Samuel. And that other voice I heard, telling him that they had to get moving...it was hers, Mike. His wife, Deirdre."

"She's mentioned in the file, but other than that we don't know anything about her." Michael sat on the edge of the desk, crossed his arms, and looked down at Sam. "Maybe you better tell me what you know."

"Sure thing." Sam leaned back in the chair and looked up at him. "Deirdre was assigned to the Nimitz. She was...probably still is...a tough gal. Whenever she and Shay got together, it was like fireworks and fistfights. No matter what port they were in, they drank and fought their way through it. But they never turned on each other." He paused. "Kind of reminds me of you and Fi. Anyway, about the time we were in Afghanistan, he married her, just before we got sent out."

"I suppose you're going to tell me that had something to do with what happened in Afghanistan with your team."

"Yeah. Dede called him, upset. He didn't want to talk about it, but I managed to get it out of him. I mean, I was his best friend. He could tell me anything, you know?" He nodded and continued. "So anyway, Dede found out she was pregnant before he shipped out, but then something happened and she lost the baby. He was devastated, especially when he found out that she probably would never have a successful pregnancy." He let out a long breath. "After that, something happened to him. He questioned every order I gave him and it almost got us all killed one time. After that I had to have him sent stateside for a long leave with Dede. I hoped that maybe it would help. He was reassigned to another team and that was the last time I saw him until I got back to Miami and he found me at Carlito's." Sam related his reunion with Shay, and Michael listened. "It's pretty obvious that he's gone 'round the bend, Mike, but I don't know why he thinks I had anything to do with his troubles."

"It's easier to blame someone else than yourself."

"True. But come on, Mike, why me?"

Michael shook his head. "I don't know. The important thing is we need to pin down where he is. If he's unstable, and Dede is helping him..."

"Yeah, I know. I'm really worried now about Samuel's welfare." He dropped the file on the desktop and turned to the computer. "Let's see if this thing has finally stopped thinking and gave me something to work with." He tapped a few keys and the screen came to life, showing a short list. "Here we go. The last three locations that Shay has lived in the past three years."

Michael slipped off the desk and turned toward the screen, leaning over Sam's shoulder. "What...where'd you get this?"

"You don't wanna know, trust me." He set a pad of paper on the desk and began to write down the addresses. "These aren't in any chronological order, so we'll have to check out each one. My bet is he's at the Shores Motel. It's a little ways up I-95 north of Fort Lauderdale. Secluded, easy place to hole up for awhile."

"You know this because..."

"I've thought it would make a good safe house," Sam replied with a shrug. "But I don't think we should rule out these other places. And if we're going to get the jump on him, we have to start now."

Michael took the piece of paper and studied the addresses. "One of these is close to your house, Sam."

"I know. If he's not there, he probably was within the past six months or so. He was surveilling me, Eve, and Samuel all this time. Probably thought we were the perfect family, something he would never have, and that got him worked up enough to take Samuel." He paused and rubbed his fist across his chin, the stubble scraping his knuckles. "Thing is, why'd he ask for two million dollars in that note?"

"More than enough money to take advantage of technology so he and his wife could have their own kid, whether by her or a surrogate."

"Two million. That's a hell of a lot of money, Mike."

"I don't know. Maybe there's more to this that isn't important right now."

Sam shut down the web site and turned off the computer. "Let's get going. In the middle of a storm, it's the perfect time to sneak up on him."

Michael watched as Sam stood and hurried down the stairs. He crossed the loft and stopped at his father's bedside, which, in Michael's opinion, was way too close to his mom's. The men spoke softly, and Samuel rose to get ready. Michael didn't feel comfortable using the old man on a mission, but they were short handed right now and they needed all the help they could get. He went downstairs and woke Fiona.


	17. Chapter 17

I had to revise this chapter after last night. I didn't like some of it.

**Chapter 17**

Michael and Sam rode in the Charger and Fiona and Samuel took Fi's car. Maddie protested being left behind. "I can handle a gun. I can cover you! Please...you need all the help you can get, Michael."

"Ma..."

"Maddie, this is going to be really dangerous," Samuel spoke softly as he picked up her hand from the chair arm and caressed it. "It's better for you to stay here."

"What if he comes here?"

"He won't do that. But if he does...shoot first and ask questions later," Samuel advised with a wink, patted her hand, and rose. As he turned away he had second thoughts, so he faced Maddie, leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. The gesture got a wide eyed response with a sweet smile, which he mirrored. "I'll see you later."

"I'll be waiting for you..." She leaned to the right and caught sight of Michael's look of disapproval. "All of you. Stay safe."

Michael let out a ragged breath. "Lock up after we're gone, Ma."

"Of course." She followed them to the door, and as they hurried down the stairs, they heard the deadbolt click.

The rain had let up some, but the north wind caused it to blow in sheets against the windshield as they traveled north on the freeway. Now and then Sam consulted the map, even though it was unnecessary. Visions of Samuel and his condition mercilessly captured his imagination and wouldn't let up, and it was the only thing he could do to attempt to keep his mind off those thoughts.

Michael distracted Sam. "I think our best plan is, once we figure out which room they're in, to cover the back and front. Fi and Samuel can cover the back. You and I will take the front, because if we storm in there and Samuel is in a good location, you can just grab him and get out of there."

"You know Fi's got some of those teargas grenades in her trunk. We could just lob one of those in there and under cover of the smoke I can get him out."

"I'm hoping they'll be asleep when we show up. Then we'll have a real element of surprise on our side." Michael glanced at Sam. "No matter what, our main objective is getting your son out of there as fast as possible."

"Definitely." Sam glanced out the window at the darkness. "I really wish this had been some stranger, Mike. I knew Shay had some issues, but this...I still find it hard to believe. I wanna know why...what was he really going to accomplish by stealing my kid?"

"I don't know, Sam. If he's mentally unstable, I doubt you'll get a good answer to your questions."

"Yeah." He fell silent and glanced at the map in the glow from the dashboard. "We should be getting close to the exit."

"I see it." Michael signaled and got off the freeway.

Other than a diner and a gas station to the north and south respectively, there was nothing else on the east side, but under the freeway overpass they saw that the Shores Motel stood by itself. Its pink and blue neon sign had seen better days, and the entire one-story motel looked as if it were ready for the wrecking ball.

"You thought this place would make a great safe house?"

"Yeah, I mean look at the place! Who in their right mind would hole up here?"

Michael glanced at him and nodded. "You've got a good point there." He parked at the farthest edge of the lot and Fiona slipped into the spot next to him. Samuel rolled down his window.

"What's the plan, Michael?"

"You and Fi go around back, and Sam and I will see if we can find out which room they're in. I'll call you when I get that info. Then we'll slip in and give them a nice little surprise."

"Just be careful. My grandson is in there."

"I don't think his father will let me do anything dangerous," Michael assured him with a smile.

"I've got teargas in the trunk. You should take some," Fiona suggested.

"That was already part of the plan, Fi."

She tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "Good. I'll leave the trunk unlatched for you. We'll take a couple of canisters ourselves, just in case."

They grabbed gear from Fiona's trunk and split up into their two groups. Sam and Michael waited until Fiona and Samuel had time to get around the back. "We're in position," she whispered into her phone.

"Great. We're sweeping the area as we go to the motel office. It's dark, but we'll get in and find the register."

"Mike, there's a room up there with a light on," Sam muttered near Michael's ear and jutted his chin toward the illuminated sidewalk.

"We'll check it out. Keep this line open, Fi."

"Will do."

Michael and Sam carefully approached the lit room. The curtains were open slightly, just enough to be able to peer inside. Sam sucked in his breath when he saw Shay sitting in a chair drinking a beer. Dede had her back to the window as she leaned over the bed. A little bare foot caught Sam's attention, and he bit back an exclamation. The limb moved and swatted at the air. Dede reached for a diaper.

Michael slipped around the other side of the window and studied the situation. He glanced at Sam and gave him a hand signal that he was ready to break down the door, but Sam held up his hand. He knew by his old friend's body language that Shay was drunk, and he held a semi-automatic in one hand that hung limply between his knees as he drained his bottle. His head came up as Dede said something, but they couldn't hear the words. Whatever she said angered Shay, and he grimaced and threw the empty bottle at her. It shattered on the wall and left a haphazard trail of beer running down the surface.

Dede glared at him, finished diapering Samuel, and picked up the baby. He was crying, and she tried settling him down by bouncing him gently. For the first time in countless days, Sam finally saw his son's face. Even crying, it was the most beautiful thing he'd seen. Knowing Samuel was in good condition eased his mind, but with the situation escalating inside, he knew they needed to act soon. He nodded at Michael, who covered the few feet to the door and prepared a smoke grenade. While Sam kept watch at the window, he took advantage of the sound of Samuel's crying to try the door. It was locked. He shook his head. Sam nodded and held up a second grenade, making motions of breaking the window and throwing it in. Michael nodded, stepped back from the door, and prepared to kick it in once Sam tossed the smoke grenade into the room.

There was no time for second thoughts. Dede kept Samuel away from Shay, who still sat in the chair in the corner, working on another beer. He had a perfect line with the door, so anyone who came in would be an easy target. Michael was putting his life on the line for his family, a thought that was not lost on Sam. Using the crowbar he pulled from the trunk, Sam gave it a short swing and the glass easily shattered. Shards still flew into the room as he tossed in the grenade. The last clear sight he had was of Dede covering Samuel with her own body and ducking down between the two double beds.

As soon as the grenade flashed and spewed smoke into the room, Michael used all his force and planted a foot on the most vulnerable spot on the door. It gave way easily and splinters flew at Shay. His head came up, he tossed his beer aside, and took a very shaky aim at the intruders. Two shots whizzed past Michael. Sam ducked down and slipped into the room behind him, heading for Dede on the floor.

"No! Who are you people! You...you can't take my baby! No!" Dede fought Sam and kicked him hard in the shin, which only caused him to fall and land on her. With one hand he managed to push Samuel out of the way and separate her from him. She kicked and clawed at him, screeching obscenities and threats. "You'll never get away with this!" She got a good solid punch to Sam's jaw, and while he was not one to hit a woman, in this case, it was necessary. He laid her out with one good left.

Samuel screamed and cried in between coughing from the teargas. Sam could barely see him through his own burning, watery eyes. He reached out blindly and felt along the floor until he snagged some clothing. He scooped him into his arms, stood, and hobbled out of the room, ignoring the struggle going on between Michael and Shay. As he exited the room, Fiona and Samuel came running from behind the motel.

"Dad? Fi?"

"Stay out here with Samuel," Samuel Sr. urged as he and Fiona closed in on the room.

Seconds later, gunshots pierced through the rain, along with a woman's scream. Then everything stilled, and the only sound was the hiss of the raindrops hitting the asphalt. It was too quiet, but Sam was in no condition to check on his friends. His eyes still burned and teared up, although some of that was from relief of getting his son back. He raised his face to the rain and let it wash out his eyes.

"Sam, are you okay?"

He lowered his gaze and was relieved to see Michael clearly. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mike. Samuel's fine, I think." He swiped at his son's face. "Yeah, you're gonna be just fine, aren't you Sammy?" He planted a kiss on his cheek. "Hey, what happened in there?"

"I'm sorry, Sam." Michael frowned. "I know you wanted answers, but...I guess you'll never find out why he did it."

"Mike, what about Dede?"

"She took a shot at your dad, and I took a shot at her," Fiona replied. "It was really hard to aim well in that room. She might make it if help comes in time."

Samuel Sr. cleared his throat. "We better get out of here before the cops show up."

"Hey, you people! What do you think you're doing?" The motel manager, and old guy who squinted into the rain, yelled across the parking lot. Suddenly he put his arms up to shield his face when Fiona blinded him with a bright flashlight. She kept it trained on him long enough for Michael, Sam and Samuel to get to the cars They got in and took off. Sam held onto his son for dear life, realizing that they never brought along a car seat.

"Drive careful, Mike."

"I will. Just hang onto him for a little longer," Michael urged as he sped south on the freeway. He looked into the rearview mirror and saw a car gaining on them. The headlights flashed in his mirror, a signal from Fiona that she was okay and following him. He smiled. "Fi's right behind us, and we'll be back home before you know it."

"Home. That sounds really good," Sam said as he leaned back in the seat and held Samuel tighter against his chest. Despite all the chaos, Samuel slept. Sam felt the slow rise and fall of his breaths, and the raw emotions of almost losing him forever threatened to do him in. "When Eve gets out of the hospital, maybe things will get back to normal for awhile."

Fiona snickered on the open phone line. "I don't think anything is ever normal at your house, Sam."

"Hey, I heard that, Sister! Like you'd know normal if it came up and bit you on the..."

"Alright, knock it off," Michael gritted his teeth. "Let's just get this business over with, get you home, and then I'll get my Ma and take her home. And maybe after that we can all get a little sleep."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Going home wasn't as easy as Sam would have thought. Since the house was a crime scene, he had to check with the police to see if it was clear for him to occupy it. When Sam entered the side door, the house seemed cold and it had nothing to do with the air conditioning. He and Samuel were alone. Samuel Sr. insisted on going with Maddie to her house because, despite the threat being over, she felt unsafe. Michael didn't like it, but with Fi backing up his mom, he had little choice but to agree. As Sam moved through the kitchen, he felt as if someone else was in the house watching them. He turned on the kitchen light, but the room was empty. He turned on the light in his father's room. It was just as the police left it, in a shambles, but no one was there.

He went through every room turning on the lights, making sure they were all empty. He cleared the upstairs and finished in Samuel's room. All through his sweep, the child slept on his shoulder as if nothing were out of the ordinary. The place where he rested his head throbbed slightly, and would probably hurt a lot more later, but for now, there was no way Sam was putting him down to ease his own pain.

"Looks like we're all alone, Sammy. Time to get you to bed." With all the lights still blazing he reluctantly lay his son in his crib and covered him with a blanket. He couldn't tear himself away for at least a half hour, and he hovered and touched him repeatedly to make sure that he wasn't imagining this. Samuel was home safe. "It's so good to have you home," he whispered. "I never ever thought I could miss you so much. I'm not letting you out of my sight until you go to college, and even then I just might not let go."

Finally, good sense prevailed. With a heavy sigh he stepped back, turned off the overhead light and turned on the night light. He checked each room again before turning out the lights, leaving the living room for last. No one bothered to clean up the blood, so it served as a grim reminder of Yvette and how he almost lost her again. He let out a deep breath. _I'm definitely gonna have my work cut out for me in the morning!_

He knew that eventually the adrenaline would finally wear off, so when it did he was ready for bed. Then it took him a long time to adjust to the mattress, because Yvette was missing. He lay on his back and ran his hand over her pillow, but that only increased the size of the emptiness beside him. _I never ever thought I'd miss her so much! _With a groan, he turned to his side and pulled the pillow into his arms. Somehow, he managed to get some sleep before the sun broke through the last of the storm clouds and greeted the new day.

Sam dragged himself out of bed, checked on Samuel and found him still asleep, and got himself together. He made the coffee extra strong. As he waited for it to brew, he checked on Samuel again and found him standing in his crib. When father and son laid eyes on each other, one squealed in delight and pulled on the side, vigorously rattling it. The other's vision blurred with tears as he reached down and picked him up. The lack of sleep, injury, and stress took their toll on Sam as he fell into the glider in the corner, wrapped his arms around his son, and broke down. Time stood still. The only sound was the release of his pent-up emotions and the beep of the coffeemaker when it finished.

He sat until he was spent and Samuel tired of being held. The boy pushed away and tried to climb down from his father's lap. Sam helped him and watched as he toddled around the room. "Looks like it's time to baby-proof this house, kiddo. You're going to be into everything, I just know it!" He chuckled and Samuel turned a big grin on him. "Come on, let's go downstairs. Daddy needs some go-juice, and then there's work to be done!"

Sam set up a play area in the dining room so he could keep an eye on Samuel, and he prepared to tackle cleaning the wood floor. Every time he looked at the outline where Yvette lay, his gut twisted. Working up his resolve, he knelt beside a bucket of soapy water and pressed a wet sponge into the dried mess. Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. With lightning speed, Sam drew the gun behind his back and carefully approached the entrance. He peered through the window and was surprised to see Mrs. Petersen standing on the other side. He stuffed his gun back into place, pasted on a thin smile, and swung open the door.

"Mrs. Petersen. Nice to see you." He glanced over the short woman's head and checked out the area. It was all clear.

In her thick Norwegian accent, she said, "I saw you come home last night, Mr. Axe. I'm so glad this business is over and your son is home safe."

"You heard about that?"

"Ach ya, it was all over the news this morning! Sounds like those horrible kidnappers got theirs."

"What exactly did they report on the news?" Sam eyed her warily, wondering why she'd taken a sudden interest in his family.

"They said the motel manager reported that some people came and took the child away, the kidnappers were killed, and the police are saying it was an...oh, what did they call it?...Oh ya, an extraction team was responsible for the rescue."

"Really." Sam's smile widened. _No doubt Michael had a talk with Pearce and she put out the spin to cover our tracks._ "So what made you think I had anything to do with it?"

"I see things, Mr. Axe. I know you and your friends are not just ordinary citizens."

Sam laughed. "And just what do you think we are?"

Mrs. Petersen shook her head. "It's not important. I just know you and your friends had something to do with your son's return. So I had to come over, see that you were okay, that the baby was okay. Do you need help cleaning up?"

Sam eyed her warily. "Why would you want to do that? Normally you don't give us the time of day." Something in her eyes told him that she wasn't doing this out of the goodness of her heart. She looked scared. "Mrs. Petersen, it's really nice of you, but no. I've got everything under control here. Thanks."

Suddenly, Sam heard the sound of wood splintering and feet rushing through the kitchen. He turned, pulled out his gun, and confronted a man standing between him and Samuel. The man grinned, but it wasn't a gesture of goodwill. He whirled and reached down to pick up his son. Sam took a chance and fired at him, just grazing over the man's head, and the bullet lodged into the dining room wall.

"Hold it right there," he growled.

The man froze for a few seconds, then continued to bend over and pick up Samuel. A wicked smile crossed his face as he said, "You know, I'm really hurt. We were buddies, Sam, you and I. And after all this time you don't recognize me, your old pal Shay."

"Shay. But...who..." Now that he took a good look at him, Sam could have kicked himself. Between time and the circumstances, he wasn't thinking clearly. "In the motel. That was Jason, your brother."

"Yes." Shay grinned. "He was a sucker for my plan, and it really helped that he and I look so alike we could have been twins." His grip on Samuel tightened, and the child whimpered and reached out for his father. Shay ignored his discomfort. "I'm pretty upset with your friends. They didn't have to go and kill Deedee."

"I don't get it. Why'd you set your brother up to take the fall?"

"Seriously Sam, I thought you'd be the one to pull the trigger on Jason. The plan was for me to then kill you, take your son, and disappear with DeeDee."

"I guess you didn't count on my friends backing me up. That's what real friends do, Shay. They don't try to ruin the lives of the people they care about." Sam still held the gun on him. He hoped he didn't have to use it, because the other man was using Samuel as a shield. It wasn't a risk he was willing to take, but he couldn't let Shay know that. He aimed for Shay's head. "Put Samuel down right there...and get face down on the floor."

He could see Shay analyzing Sam's stance and the look in his eyes, surprised to find a man who would risk the life of his son to take him down. He kept control of his features, because he knew he had Shay fooled, and the man was out of options. Shay set Samuel on the dining room floor, and Sam waved him over to the living room and forced him to lay over the spot where Shay left them to die.

While he kept the gun trained on Shay's back, he noticed that Mrs. Petersen still stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear. "Mrs. Petersen, can you do something for me?" Too afraid to say no, she merely nodded, and Sam gave her one of his charming smiles. All the while he kept his eye on Shay. "Thanks. Go into the garage. On the workbench there's a box of ties. I want you to bring it to me, okay?" In his peripheral vision, he saw Shay make a move, and he turned, pressing the barrel into his back. "Don't tempt me, Shay. Put your hands on your head. Now!"

Mrs. Petersen moved as fast as she could to the garage. Meanwhile, Sam grilled Shay. Friend or no friend, he was ready to do just about anything he could to get answers. When Shay refused to give him what he wanted, he kicked him in the ribs. Something cracked, and Sam knew it wasn't his toes.

"Why did you want Samuel?"

Shay grimaced from the pain. "You know my past. You know what happened to DeeDee."

"That doesn't justify anything! You could have adopted."

A bitter laugh escaped him. "Tell me, Sam, how easy it is to adopt when they look at your psych profile and decide you're unfit?" He sneered. "I was willing to just take yours, but DeeDee wanted to give him back. He was just a tool to get what we needed, enough money to buy a couple of kids and disappear."

"So why'd you try to kill us?" He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Why'd you ruin our chances of having another child?"

"Getting you and your wife out of the way would have made it easier to deal with DeeDee. With the kid being an orphan, she would have taken him for keeps." He paused. "So. things didn't quite go according to plan." He grimaced as Sam wound up to kick him again, this time in the hip.

"Son? Who is that?"

Sam's eyes darted toward the dining room where his father stood near Samuel. "Dad, this is Shay, the real Shay. It was his brother Jason who was shot at the motel. It's a long story."

"I know, I heard most of it." He strode across the room with a fistful of ties, handed them to Sam and spoke in a low tone that rumbled with his righteous anger. "Tie him up, Sammy, before I make it unnecessary."

"You tie him up, I'll call the cops."

"No need, I already took care of it. They're on the way," Maddie announced as she picked up Samuel and rubbed noses with him. "Hey Sammyboy."

"Thanks Dad, Maddie. I really appreciate your timing."

Sirens wailed in the distance, and they increased in volume before stopping in front of the house. Feet pounded up the stairs and the officers burst in. "Sir, drop the gun!"

Sam held it out, dangling the trigger guard on his index finger as he slowly set it down on the floor. "It's okay, I'm the homeowner, and I've got a permit for this." He jerked his head toward the chair. "This is the guy you want. He stole my son!"

"Okay, Sir. I want you to back away from the gun. All of you." the officer glanced at Samuel and Sam, and they held up their hands and complied. They knew how this worked. Follow orders and you get to live another day. Disobey, and the four cops in the vestibule shoot first; and cleaning up the floor would no longer be a concern for Sam.

Everything moved in slow motion as Shay reached for the gun. "No!" Sam lunged forward a step and brought his foot down on Shay's wrist just as he held the gun in his hand.

"Sir, stop!" The nearest officer trained his gun on Sam.

"Nobody move!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

When the bullet hit him in the chest, in the confined space Sam didn't have much room to fall backwards. His head hit the floor hard, and he saw stars, but he was okay. He glanced up at the ceiling and said a silent prayer of thanks. Shay screamed repeatedly in panic, losing control of what little sanity he had left. As the smoke cleared, Sam peeled himself off the floor, helped his father stand where he landed after being hit, and they huddled around the crazed man on the floor along with Michael, Fiona, Jesse, and Agent Pearce, who were dressed as Miami police officers.

"You can shut up now, Shay. You're not gonna die."

"What...what..." He could barely breathe, let alone get one word out of his mouth.

"Rubber bullets. Pretty cool, huh? Although, they hurt like hell." He glanced at Michael. "Hey Mikey, let me have those handcuffs." Michael lobbed the cuffs in the air and Sam caught them. He grimaced from the pain in his chest, then forgot about it as he quickly and efficiently bound Shay's wrists. "I'd read you your rights, but as far as I'm concerned you lost your chance when you violated me and my family. We'll escort you to the station, and after that it's up to the real cops to take care of you." Once the cuffs were secure, Sam hauled Shay to his feet. "Man, you've gained a few pounds since our SEAL days. Too much beer, not enough exercise. Believe me, I know." He grinned. "Oh well, you'll have plenty of time to shape up in the can." He gave Shay a slight shove and got him moving toward the door. Jesse and Fiona stood in Shay's way to prevent him from escaping out the front door.

"Sam, we'll take it from here," Michael said and held him back. "Trust me, it's better this way."

"No, Mike. I want him to face a judge and a jury. The only good justice is to see him squirm for what he did to my family."

Michael nodded. "Okay, have it your way." He dialed his phone and waited for the person on the other side to pick up. "Detective Paxson, Michael Westen. How are you today?" He waited for her to respond, and from what little Sam could hear, she wasn't having a great day. Michael grinned. "Well, I think I might have something to cheer you up. Come over to Sam's house. I think you know the address...yes, that's it. When you get here you'll find that we've got the Samuel Axe kidnapping suspect gift-wrapped for you."

Samuel pushed Shay so he fell onto the couch in a sitting position. He kept Sam's gun pointed at him and wore an expression that begged him to give him a reason to shoot. Shay was too scared to move.

"You might want to hurry up, Detective, and bring an ambulance. I think he's going to hyperventilate any minute now."

"Whatever you do, don't shoot him, Westen!" Everyone heard her shout over the phone before the connection was closed.

"You heard the lady. Ma, can you keep an eye on these two, make sure they don't do anything to our prisoner? We've got to, um, go change." He grinned.

"We'll be just fine, Michael." Maddie smiled.

"Thanks." Michael gave the two men one last look of warning before he followed the others out the door.

Fiona mouthed, 'Shoot him' and scooted out before Michael could scold her.

Sam sighed heavily and sat in a chair across from Shay. "Might as well have a seat, Dad. Not much we can do now."

"Anybody want some coffee," Maddie asked.

"No, we're good," Samuel replied, his eyes never leaving Shay.

"Samuel hasn't been fed yet, Maddie," Sam said as he glanced at her and his son. He smiled at how happy he was in Maddie's arms. For a moment, he wished his mom was still alive and able to enjoy her grandson. She would have loved him.

"Well, why don't we go get you something to eat, huh sweetie? I know your Daddy and Grandpa will behave themselves while we're out of the room, or they're going to be sorry. Isn't that right?" She gave them a pointed look and disappeared into the kitchen.

By the time she returned with Samuel, the real police arrived with Detective Paxson. She entered the living room and gazed at the two men staring at Shay. After sizing up the suspect, she declared, "I really expected to come in here and find him in a pool of blood." She noted the messy floor. "Fresh blood." She shook her head.

"If we wanted him dead, there would have been better ways to get the job done," Samuel replied as he smiled coldly.

"I suppose I should be thankful for your assistance, Mr. Axe."

Samuel grinned. "You have me at a disadvantage, Detective. We haven't met yet."

She smiled, familiar with his kind of charm. "You are definitely Sam Axe's father. Like father, like son, they say. Whoever coined that phrase must have taken a good look at the two of you." She turned away and addressed one of the officers as she indicated the man on the couch. "Take him and read him his rights."

They watched Shay leave with an officer on each side of him. He was a bundle of nerves shaking so violently, they had to help him keep steady or risk him tumble down the steps head first. Sam stood and followed them out of the house, because he couldn't help but shake the feeling that Shay was up to something. When the small group was within a few feet of a police cruiser, Shay swung his arms sideways and twisted out of one officer's grasp. At the same time, he kicked the other and sent him sprawling onto the grass.

"Sir, stop! Stop, or we'll shoot!"

Shay took off running down the street, but he didn't get very far. Sam counted the shots that took him down. One, two, three, four. He must have been running on superhuman strength to stay upright until the last one hit him square in the back and set him off balance. He fell and slid a couple of feet in the gravel along the road before coming to a stop. Instantly, officers surrounded him. Sam made a move to approach him, but Paxson gripped his arm.

"Stay back."

He watched with detached emotion as an officer ran toward a car and returned with a yellow plastic sheet. He snapped it out in the air over Shay's body and let it settle down on him. It covered his head. Sam knew then that his hope for justice was cut short, but at least it was over. In the end, that's all he really wanted. He felt a twinge of pity for the man who used to be so fun-loving and lovable, a guy who would have given him anything if asked. Somewhere along the line he became a taker and it cost him his life.

He heard his father's heavy exhalation behind him, followed by a sympathetic hand on his good shoulder. "Well, I guess that's it, Son. That detective lady said we're free to do whatever we were doing before all hell broke loose."

"Yeah."

"Hey, why don't we leave Maddie here and go to the hospital to see Yvette? She can watch Samuel while we're gone."

"Sounds great, Dad. Except I'm not going anywhere without my son. If Eve's up for it, I know she's going to want to see him."

"Okay, then. I'll see if Maddie wants to go too."

"Okay, then. I'll meet you at the car." Sam gave the yellow lump one more glance, shook his head, and walked around to the side of the house to get into Yvette's car. She had the car seat in hers, and he had no intention of taking his child anywhere without him being strapped in it. He was precious cargo, made even more so by the past several days' experience.

While he waited for his dad, he thought about the child that he and Yvette lost through Shay's crimes. He kind of would have liked to have a girl. But maybe it was better this way, because if he was so protective of his son, God help anyone who tried to date his daughter when she was old enough! The thought made him snicker, but he wiped the smile off his face before his father and Maddie got into the car. They would have thought he was crazy to be thinking such things.

With everything going on, Sam hadn't seen Yvette since he checked out of the hospital. She was in a regular room and doing well, even better when she heard the news that the danger was passed. When they arrived they found Michael, Fiona and Jesse visiting with her.

"Where's Agent Pearce?" Sam asked as he noted she was missing.

"Back to the 'real work' as she called it," Michael replied.

"I don't know, but I think this whole week has been pretty real. Too real," Maddie exclaimed as she stepped closer to Samuel. He put an arm around her, and rubbed her arm comfortingly. "Every time I get a little taste of what you all do, the more it worries me."

"Maddie, I would bet most of their cases don't wind up in people getting shot up," Samuel assured her.

"No, usually we just blow things up," Sam replied and winked at Maddie.

She rolled her eyes, causing everyone to laugh, then quickly changed the subject. "Yvette, when are you coming home?"

"They said I can leave in a few days. I'm healing up nicely, although not everything will be the same." Her gaze flitted toward Sam, and he nodded. She knew he knew about what they'd lost. It hurt him deep inside to see such emotional pain on her face, and if there was anything he could do to erase it, he would. Maybe adoption wasn't such a bad idea. But it was too early to bring up such things. His main objective was to get her home and love her and Samuel like he'd never loved them before. He glanced at his father and felt a warmth as he caught the wink and the spark in his eyes. Without his dad, things would have turned out a lot differently. Yes, he had a lot to be thankful for right now. The future would take care of itself.


End file.
